Cursed Demons
by zoepeanut
Summary: Slight AU for Blue Exorcist, taking place during Season 1 of OUAT. Having grown up in the Enchanted Forest, both Rin and Yukio are dragged into the curse along with all of the other fairy tale characters. Now trapped with no memory of their past, Rin begins to grow terrified of himself as his demonic power begins surfacing in a world where no such power should exist.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

( _Years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

It was dark, a dimly lit room with cavernous rock walls illuminated solely by torches on the path inside. Deeper into this place were two cages, prison cells made of strange bone-like material keeping two powerful enemies separated from each other. In one cell was a well-known man, with scaly skin smiling brightly at the moonlit sky out the tiny window in the upper corner of his cell. This was the Dark One, his gaze flickering over to the adjoining cell next to his own.

In this cell was a young teenager, black hair falling into his face as he slumped over in his cell. To anyone watching him, the boy looked defeated as he lifted his gaze, blue eyes flickering around the room as a small light began to approach them. One of the torches was moving, alerting them to the presence of someone new in these dim halls.

"Rin? Are you in here, Rin?" a voice called out, familiar to the black haired boy.

Rin's head snapped up, getting onto his feet as he rushed towards the bars of his prison. "Yukio? How the hell did you even get in here, you four-eyed mole-face?" Rin demanded, seeing the man coming closer from the halls.

Yukio gave him a weak smile, pulling down the hood from his cloak and setting the torch down into one of the holders on the rock walls. "It is good to see you again, Rin. I was worried I'd be too late…the Queen said she planned on executing you soon." Yukio stated calmly, his face grave.

"Yeah, I kind of screwed up, didn't I?" Rin asked sheepishly, grinning as he rubbed the back of his head. "Still, things could be worse. I mean, at least Snow's still alive, right?" Rin stated.

Yukio sighed, shaking his head at Rin. He moved closer, frowning as he inspected the doors of Rin's cage, pulling on them to test their strength. "Rin…there is so much you don't know right now. Things may have been better if she had been caught long ago…" Yukio mused darkly, frowning as he reached into his belt to pull out a sword.

Rin's eyes widened, not used to seeing such a weapon in his brother's hands. Yukio was better with ranged weapons, preferring bows to swords, but right now, he slashed out at the cage with the steel blade, the sound echoing throughout the room in a loud clang. "Hold up a sec, Yukio! What is that supposed to mean? What the hell happened to Snow?" Rin demanded.

Yukio turned away, seeing not even so much as a dent in the bars keeping Rin imprisoned. Before he could reply, however, a strange giggle seemed to come from the other cell. Rin and Yukio both turned towards the man inside, Yukio looking confused while Rin looked wary. "You know what's going on, don't you, you scaly-skinned bastard?" Rin demanded.

The man approached them, his hands gripping the bars of his cell as he smiled at Yukio. "Indeed I do, and there is no need to worry." Rumplestiltskin declared, while Yukio glared over at him.

"No need to worry? The darkest curse in all of history is about to be cast, and you don't want to try and do something to stop it?" Yukio demanded, enraged by his calm attitude about all of this.

The Dark One laughed again, stepping back as he placed his palms together in front of him. "Oh yes, it is indeed coming." he began. "There is nothing we can do to stop it, for we are all going on a wonderful journey, to a land where all of this will be nothing but a dream…or perhaps it won't even exist at all. Who am I to say how it will affect us after all?" he insisted, a gleam in his eye as he focused on both brothers.

Rin crossed sighed, running a hand through his hair as he walked casually over towards Rumplestiltskin's cell. "Let me guess, you want to make another deal, right?" he asked. "What is it going to cost to know what this curse will actually do to us?"

The Dark One laughed, pointing over to the window of their cell. Outside, a massive storm seemed to have begun, one of magical origin. A cloud of dark purples swirled in the sky, coming closer every second they spoke and leaving Yukio and Rin staring with wide eyes. "Too late, it is already here. I shall be seeing you again soon, Rin Okumura. After all, I am quite interested to see the future of a boy who attracts the attention of such interesting individuals."

The Dark One gave out one last eager laugh as the storm broke in. It was surprising to see that not even this magic had enough force to break through the walls of their prison, but it did ensnare all three of the people within. A dark haze fell over them, and Rin's eyes drifted shut on this world. He collapsed on the ground, his memories fading away as the Dark Curse arrived to take them all away to a new land, a land where magic was nothing but a fairy tale.

 _(Today, in Storybrooke)_

Things were getting interesting tonight, Evan noticed. He sat at his desk, his black glasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he brushed aside his short brown hair. Next to him was the sheriff of Storybrooke, Graham, looking ready to go out patrolling as usual. The two of them had always been a team, leading the police station of this small town and keeping things safe in the area. While little happened that required them to act, Evan was always vigilant, ready to protect this town for their mayor.

"We've got a call." Graham stated, hanging up the phone and rising to his feet. Evan followed suit, picking up his belt and holstering a handgun within as he moved to leave with his boss. "The mayor's kid is missing." he stated.

"Henry Mills? That is odd…then again, the boy has been acting strange as of late." Evan commented, frowning thoughtfully. Henry had come to him only a few months ago, asking if Evan knew anything about where Henry came from. He understood the boy's struggles, since, much like Henry, Evan had never met his true father. Henry was taking things too far, though. The boy was obsessing over this, which was why he and Graham were always on Regina's side about sending Henry to sessions with Archie in town.

Graham nodded in agreement, walking outside and climbing into the driver's seat of his car. "Well, Regina wants him found, now. Looks like our easy day of lounging around the station is a thing of the past." Graham commented.

Evan narrowed his eyes at Graham, shaking his head. "You never want to take things seriously around here. Why do I always feel like I'm the only one doing work in this town?" he demanded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Graham grinned over at him, starting the car to begin their patrol for Henry. "That's because you always try so hard to find trouble. You've got to learn to relax a bit, Evan, have some fun every now and then. It can't be healthy working this hard all of the time, especially when there really isn't that much crime around here." he insisted.

Ignoring that comment, Evan simply gazed out the front window of the car as they drove down the streets. As a child, Henry could not get far, unless he had an accomplice to aid him. Knowing that he had few friends in school helped eliminate that as an option for him, but Evan still felt uneasy. If Henry had gotten truly desperate, then the child could have resorted to theft, or even stowing away on a bus in order to leave town."What did Mayor Mills say? Where was Henry last seen?" Evan asked.

Graham seemed to focus, nodding as he turned down another street. Evan's gaze flickered across the sidewalks, trying to think of where a child would like to hide when running away in a town like this. "She saw him before school, but when she went to pick him up, he was gone. Mary-Margaret had not seen him at all, so from what we've gathered, he skipped class to run away from home." he explained.

"I see, so he has had an entire day to run around unsupervised." Evan stated calmly, trying to reason through where he might be. Maybe he could ask Ryan about it, but Evan dismissed the idea. His brother had a rocky relationship with him in the first place, and he'd rather not antagonize the guy with work. After all, he was the one who had nearly arrested Ryan over an improper liquor license for his tavern. Ultimately, Ryan had been forced to stop selling alcohol, but the Devil's Tavern continued to be popular for the food made in town. "Hopefully, he is still in town. Runaways usually stay somewhere familiar, and from what I remember, Henry Mills has never once left Storybrooke before."

Graham nodded in agreement. "That's true, but you know how he's been lately. The kid has had a few problems, he can't distinguish fantasy from reality these days." he insisted.

Evan had heard this as well, aware that the kid wandered around with that book in hand everywhere. He was convinced that everyone here was a character from some fairy tale, but Evan knew otherwise. This was reality, and nothing Henry stated would change that fact. "Regardless of his mindset, Henry is still a child. He has a reason behind his actions, however foolish that reason may be. From his most recent actions, the only reason he has to leave town is to locate his birth mother."

Graham looked surprised, glancing over at Evan with a raised eyebrow. "Like you said, Henry is a child. It was a closed adoption, there's no way he could find out that information." the sheriff insisted.

Nodding in agreement, Evan leaned back in his seat. "I agree, and that is why Henry must be in town. Perhaps he believes he found a way to end this 'curse' he claims we live under."

Graham nodded, diving in silence for a while. "Regina dropped Henry off at the bus stop, so maybe someone saw him nearby." he stated as he pulled over, parking in the streets of the town.

Both men got out, gazing around at the buildings lining the main street of Storybrooke. The iconic Granny's Diner was right across the street from them, with Ruby's grandmother calling the girl back in to get back to work. Evan quickly decided to start there, moving into the diner and leaning on the counter as Ruby walked back. "Welcome to Granny's, what can I get for you two today?" she stated, chewing on a piece of gum as she pulled out her notepad to take their order.

"We are not here for the food, Ruby. You are aware that we are officers in this town, we came here on business. Unlike you, we have work that we must focus on every day." Evan stated, a bit irritated with the way Ruby leaned towards him.

The girl rolled her eyes at him, placing her pencil and notepad down. Instead, she moved to rest her arm on her hip, waiting for an actual question. "No need to be so rude, Evan. You're lucky Graham is friendlier than you, because otherwise I don't think I'd want to help at all." she insisted.

Evan sighed, glancing over at his partner for help in this matter. "Look, Ruby, Henry has gone missing." Graham stated, staring into the waitress' eyes.

Ruby stood up straighter, looking genuinely concerned. "Henry? You mean the mayor's kid?" she asked. Evan nodded, already regretting coming to her for help. "Sorry, but I haven't seen him around. You should try Archie, Henry loves playing with his dog sometimes. If he is looking for a place to relax, that's where I'd say he's at."

Walking back into the street, Graham turned to move off on their next lead. However, he stopped in front of a familiar building standing just next to Gold's Pawn Shop. It was a little run-down, with some of the white pain chipping off the outside walls, but the wooden sign looked almost new. Black lettering called the place the Devil's Tavern, and it even had a small little black demon to decorate the sign. "You know, your brother might be able to help. Henry always got along with Ryan well, despite their age difference." Graham suggested.

Evan glanced at the building, debating it for a moment before shaking his head, looking down towards the ground. "No…I will not go to my brother for this. I do not think he has forgiven me after what happened before." Evan insisted.

Graham didn't push the matter, instead continuing on towards Archie's office. When that lead turned up empty once more, they moved on towards the school to see if his peers had heard anything about plans to run away in the near future. Everyone always said the same thing about Henry, though. The kid was nice, but he was antisocial and never looked away from that book of his in class. Ultimately, Evan and Graham searched for hours before deciding the check with Regina on the matter. Evan was beginning to suspect that the kid had left town, as unlikely as it was. No one in Storybrooke had seen him, and while kidnapping was possible, the people here were not the type to do such a thing on a whim like this.

When they arrived at the mayor's home, things seemed to have resolved themselves. The boy was back, and with him was another woman with long blond hair and a red jacket over her shoulders. "There you are. What have the two of you been doing all day? I've already found my son, no thanks to either of you." Regina stated, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at both officers.

"Sorry, m'am. I will let you deal with this out here, while I go check on the lad." Graham stated calmly, walking past her to find Henry.

Evan nodded towards her, moving to do the same. "We were under the impression that Henry was still in town. If we had been informed of his intention to find his birth mother sooner, perhaps this could have been dealt with quicker." he insisted, gazing over at the other woman thoughtfully. There was not much resemblance between the two, though there was something about the bone structure that seemed to be similar between this woman and her child.

"How did you know who I was? I never told you my name, officer." Emma demanded, looking wary of the man now stepping past Regina.

Evan glanced back, stopping for a moment. "You look like him…and I know what he's going through. It is not easy, feeling like you were not wanted by your family and wondering who they were. To be honest, Henry is luckier than I was. I can't even picture the face of my parents, because I truly have nothing to base them off of." he stated quietly, his expression sad before he moved on upstairs.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Evan asked, sitting down next to Henry on the bed. The kid glanced over at him, giving Evan a small smile.

"Fine, but I'm beginning to realize this might take longer than I thought." Henry stated. "My mom is in denial, but I'll convince her somehow."

Graham shared a look with Evan, clearly showing his doubt on who Henry was speaking over. "You mean the new girl, right?" Graham asked, watching Henry nod.

"That's my birth mother, I finally found her." he stated, smiling over at them. "I told you I'd do it, Evan, didn't I? Now, all I have to do is get her to believe, and this nightmare will end for all of us." Henry insisted.

"That would be great, Henry." Evan stated, before Graham could attempt to dissuade the child. "However, be careful with her. Your mother seems to have a strong will, and I doubt she'll believe your stories as easily as you might think."

Henry nodded, yawning and pulling the covers up in his bed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll figure it out later. Oh, and Evan?" Henry stated, glancing over at the man. "Thank you for believing in me. You're a good guy, one of the heroes I'm sure."

Evan smiled and shook his head, leaving with Graham to head back to the station for tonight. As strange as it was, that was the first day that really began to stand out in Evan's mind. Normally, his work blended in together from one day to the next, but from that point on, his life moved forward. The clock tower seemed to have been fixed over night, and ultimately, life would never be the same for the residents of Storybrooke, now that their savior had arrived.

 **Out of all of my ideas that I'm beginning to post, this is the only one that has an actual outline to go along with it...however, while I love the backstory I have planned, I am disliking the main plot I had in mind. So, along with the rest, I still won't promise an actual conclusion, as I won't post something if I feel it isn't at a decent quality. If for some reason, I find that I won't continue this story on, I may just post the outline so you know what was going to happen...though I really don't think the plot lines up anymore with OUAT's storyline. If you give me an idea, you will get credit, I promise! There is also a poll on my profile for those of you wishing to tell me which story you want me to focus on. Other than that, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

The restaurant was lively and bright, people gathered inside talking with each other and smiling over plates of breakfast on their tables. "Alright, another classic breakfast coming up!" Ryan called out from his spot at the grill, grinning as he commanded his workplace like a master. His knives flew across the cutting board, dicing up potatoes for the hash browns that he immediately began frying, browning them to a crisp as they sizzled before him. On another pan, eggs were cracked open, frying as the smell of bacon filled the air.

On a separate grill, pancakes were being cooked at an equally fast pace. Hardly anyone could keep track of the chef's movements within the kitchen, the only one capable of handling such a rush on his own and still make everything perfect. Ryan may not have been all that talented in running the business, but when he was behind the grill, he truly began to shine.

"Order up!" Ryan declared, walking out of the kitchen with a grin on his face. This order was going to his favorite customer, so he wanted to deliver it in person.

Walking around to the table, Ryan grinned over at the child sitting in the booth. A young boy with short brown hair smiled over at him, taking the breakfast with a grin. "Heya, Henry, how've you been? I heard you went on an adventure yesterday." Ryan commented.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I found my birth mother." Henry stated, smiling over at Ryan who glanced around. The next cook had just come in, and things were beginning to slow down. Ryan could take a little bit of a break right now, he was the owner after all.

Ryan sat down in the booth across from Henry, leaning over on the table. "That's amazing! I bet she is awesome, someone who will cook you amazing food all the time…hamburgers and steaks…oh man…" Ryan began, drooling slightly as he imagined the delicious food.

Henry laughed, shaking his head as he began to dig into his food. There was quite a bit for a kid like him, though eyeing the two hot chocolates made Ryan question if this mother was joining him today. "I doubt that, but she is nice at least. I've already got her on board for Operation Cobra. We've finally got another ally to free this town, Ryan." Henry stated excitedly.

Ryan nodded eagerly, his teeth flashing as he smiled brightly at the idea. "Sweet! I may not have a clue about who I was, but I have to admit, it sounds awesome to have another life like your stories, Henry. I can't wait for this mother of yours to break the curse for us." Ryan insisted.

Henry took a drink of his hot chocolate with cinnamon, while Ryan felt someone tap his shoulder. He glanced over, seeing a woman with long blond hair falling down over her shoulders, not looking pleased to see him. "Mom, you're here! I got you a hot chocolate so I could discuss—" Henry began, but Emma shook her head at him.

"Not now, kid, and don't call me mom." she insisted, turning towards Ryan. "I need to have a word with you." she stated, grabbing Ryan's arm and pulling him to his feet.

Ryan stumbled after her, ending up outside the tavern across from her. "Are you seriously feeding this fantasy of his? How could you possibly believe any of that nonsense is real?" she demanded.

Ryan narrowed his eyes at her, not pleased with her argument. "Fantasy? So, you don't believe him, is that right?" he demanded.

"Of course I don't! I'd have to be crazy to believe any of it. I mean, come on, you aren't really telling me you're a fairy tale character, right?" she asked.

Ryan glanced away, unsure of what to say. "Well…I…maybe I just don't know, alright! Henry can't even figure out who I am, so it's none of your business." he stated with a huff. "Besides, if he's right, you're the only one that can save us anyway." he added quietly.

"I'm not here to stay, I just want to make sure Henry is in a good place before I leave." Emma insisted.

Ryan focused over on her, not accepting this as her answer. "If you want to do that, then take a moment and listen to him! How hard is it for you to just try and help out your own kid?" he demanded.

"Like you'd do any better. You're childish and obnoxious, even if you wanted to, I doubt you'd be able to help anyone, let alone Henry." Emma countered, reaching her limit on patience with this man.

Ryan glared at her, stepping forward and grabbing her shirt in his hands, lifting her up slightly from the ground. "You wanna say that again? I've got plenty of talent, I don't need anyone telling me otherwise!" he insisted, yelling into Emma's face. The savior was a bit startled by his actions, however, both of them were interrupted by the sound of glass shattering in the air. The streetlight next to them had exploded, a shimmer of blue flames dancing around it just before the glass fell down to the street below.

Ryan let go of Emma, taking a step back and eyeing the light warily. "What the hell was that?" Emma demanded, staring up at the light in confusion.

"Not a clue, but I'd be careful if I were you. Take my advice and please, try to listen to Henry. He really needs someone to help him out." Ryan stated, much calmer now as he turned to go back into his tavern. "I'm Ryan, by the way. If you ever need anything for the mission, just let me know and I'll be happy to serve."

Emma nodded, seeing Henry walking outside with his bag in tow. "Hey, I've got to go to school. You wanna walk with me?" Henry asked his mother, glancing back at Ryan with a smile.

"Sure thing, kid. I'll see you around, Ryan. My name's Emma Swan, and I guess…I'm sorry about what I said." she told him, looking a bit more calmed herself.

Ryan shrugged it off, grinning over at her. "Nah, I overreacted! I'm always getting in fights for stupid reasons these days. Still letting off some steam over something that happened a while back, I guess." he commented, shrugging as he moved back towards work. Emma moved on, taking Henry to school while Ryan focused back on work, gazing down at his hands in a mixture of fear and wonder. If he focused hard enough, he could feel heat in his palms, and if that intensified a little bit further, a small blue flame would flicker in his hand. Quickly hiding away the flame he saw, Ryan went back to work on the grill, doing his best to ignore the growing fear within him as he questioned what the hell had happened.

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Cries echoed throughout the night while two babies were resting in a forest, held within the arms of a dead woman. One of them was bright, lit up in blue flames that danced around the night sky. The other appeared to be simply normal, a child just born crying in the arms of his dead mother.

A young girl was awoken by their cries, having been trying to sleep in her castle before going out to investigate the cries. Long black hair fell around her young face, the beloved princess of the kingdom, Snow White. Currently, she was no more than a child, but her curiosity got the better of her. The blue light shining off to the side of the road, combined with the crying, drew her in.

Snow gasped at the sight of a dead woman, horrified at the sight before her expression softened at the two babies in her arms. "You poor things…have you also just lost your mother?" she questioned, kneeling down next to them as she gently moved to touch the normal one. "Those flames, though…" she commented. "Father will know what to do, I'm sure of it. We'll make sure you both have good lives, I promise."

Picking up the younger of the twins first, Snow journeyed back to her castle. She went back for the other one, bringing blankets with her to wrap around his body and try and keep the flames from her body as she carried him. She wasn't entirely successful, but she was surprised that the flames didn't seem to burn her when she touched them. They were warm, but the child didn't want to harm her with this magic, and thinking back, she realized they hadn't been burning his mother's body either.

"Father! Please, I need help!" Snow shouted out when she walked inside, setting the burning baby down next to his brother.

They were still in the great hall of the castle when the king arrived. The place was large, meant for inviting in guests into their home, but Snow was using it to keep the children safe. The room was empty, decorated with paintings of their family on the walls as the hall led deeper into the castle. "Snow…is that a child?" her father asked, seeing the burning flames dancing around his body.

Snow stared up at her father, nodding with fear in her eyes. "I…I found them! Their mother…she was already…but they're still alive! We must help them." Snow insisted, seeing her father kneel down closely to the flame covered child.

"This is magic, Snow. It is dangerous to play with such things." he commented.

Snow nodded, aware of just how dark magic could be. "I…I know, but I can't just….do nothing. Mother would want me to be good…to help heal these children." she insisted.

She felt her father pat her shoulder, nodding in agreement. "Very well, let us see what we can do." he insisted. With that, he gathered up the two newborns in his grasp, and began walking out of the castle with Snow by his side.

Gazing around at the night sky, Snow began to realize what her father was doing. "The fairy…you are asking for her help, are you not?" she questioned.

The king nodded, seeing a blue light begin to approach them from within the trees. "I have heard your call, your majesty. Just what—what is this?" Blue asked, startled by the presence of the baby.

"Please, you must help him! I found him in the forest, and he has no mother. We must at least allow him to live, so he can find a family to love and care for him." Snow insisted, pleading with the fairy.

Blue hovered by the child for a few moments, eyeing Snow warily before nodding in agreement. "I…I may have something that can help, though I make no guarantee of success." Blue stated, while the king set the babies down. The fairy closed her eyes, focusing on the one with the flames. "His power is strong, and of a sort that is unfamiliar to me, but I just may be able to do something about it."

"His power? Are you saying the baby is using magic?" the king asked, watching the fairy nod with a frown.

"Indeed, though how is a mystery to me as well." she commented. "Your majesty, I will require something of yours to aid in the spell, however. Blocking off this power within him…it will not be easy, since this power does not seem to be light or dark magic, but something else entirely."

Snow frowned in confusion, gazing over at the fairy with curiosity in her gaze. "Not magic? How can anyone produce flames like that without magic?" she asked.

"I do not know, my child, but I can seal this power away." Blue stated, turning back towards the king. "The blade you carry was blessed by many of my kind, its properties are more than capable of holding off his power. Allow me to use Kurikara to seal his power, so he will be capable of living the normal life you desire for him."

Nodding in agreement, the king pulled the blade off of his belt, letting it rest on the ground next to the children. Slowly, a blue glow began to illuminate both the fairy and the baby, and in just a few moments, the glow and the flames faded away. All that remained was a sheathed blade and two normal, healthy twins. Blue left them with one last piece of advice, however, staring down at the children as she flew back towards the trees. "Take good care of them, your majesty. They have the power to be either our salvation or our destruction. I pray that we are doing the right thing by saving them, though only time will tell what they will become."

 **So, I'm slowly trying to work on making the second chapter of all of these unfinished works I just posted. My poll is still up, for anyone looking to vote on their favorite story (this one is tied for third...along with many others, all with just a single vote)! Thank you to those that reviewed, it really helps to see your thoughts on what should be present in these stories. I can't say I've made it much further on this one...but I do still like the idea, at least. Feel free to review and give me your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

Evan was back in the sheriff's office when he got the phone call. Graham was busy with an arrest, one which Evan had little interest in. Their newest resident had supposedly stolen documents from Archie, and with the way things had gone yesterday, Evan decided Graham could handle the small task of dealing with her. He would remain here to deal with any other calls from the citizens of Storybrooke.

The ringing of the phone pulled his attention back, making him pick it up and hold it to his ear. "Sheriff's office, this is Evan speaking. How can I help you?" he stated calmly, wondering what could be going on. Few people called, so he was usually going through paperwork. Previous cases all took focus in his mind, making him search for more evidence to solve the few cold cases out there or ensure that the right criminal had been caught. It never hurt to be cautious.

"Hey, Evan, it's been a while." a familiar voice stated on the other end of the line, making Evan drop his pencil and lean back in his chair. "Uh, I know this is going to sound strange, but do you think you could stop by to talk for a bit?" Ryan asked on the other end, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

"It's been years, Ryan. What made you think to call now?" Evan demanded, pressing his glasses further up onto his nose.

There was a pause from his brother, a hesitation to answer. "Yeah…sorry about that. You know I've always had a bit of a temper…I kind of overreacted then. This place just means a lot to me, you know?" Ryan stated.

Evan frowned, realizing that his brother was actually at work right now for this phone call. "Are you calling with a legitimate issue this time, Ryan, or are you just trying to interrupt my job? I have important work to be done, and I don't have time to coddle you like a child." Evan stated, a bit irritated. Yes, he missed his brother, but a phone call was too little too late. He would not be kind, not when Ryan had shown him so many times that their relationship was ruined beyond repair.

"I'm not a child, you four-eyed idiot!" Ryan shouted on the other end, anger tinging his voice. Evan heard a deep breath, the sound of his brother actually reigning in his anger for once. Evan's eyes widened ever so slightly at the noise, unused to Ryan actually acting mature in any way. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. Anyway, I just…you know what, I'll figure it out myself. If your work is so important to you, I guess we're both better off just pretending our brother doesn't even exist."

Evan leaned forward, desperation rising up within him. "Ryan, wait—" he began, but his brother cut him off.

"I didn't mean to waste your time, so I guess I should apologize for that too. Don't bother me again for a while, Evan. I've got my own problems to deal with, and I don't think I'll have time to help you play detective anymore." Ryan stated before hanging up, his tone cold and distant.

Evan stared at the phone for a few moments, hearing silence on the other end of the line before finally hanging it up. That was the first call he had gotten from Ryan in….he couldn't remember how long. After the hole fiasco with investigating his brother's bar, the two of them simply didn't speak beyond work. Ryan cooperated in investigations, but beyond that, he would not respond to Evan's questions nor would he answer his phone calls.

Emma and Graham came into the room, having just finished taking her mug shots. "Well, she's the Mayor. She has her hands in everything." Graham was saying, glancing over at his partner sitting at the desk. Evan was still unfocused, frowning with his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze did not leave the silent phone on his desk, not until Graham walked over and shook his shoulder slightly. "Hey, let's get back to work. I thought you were the one that told me I was lazy, yet here you are just staring at the phone."

Emma was scowling, glancing between the two of them. "Including the police force?" she asked, in response to his previous statement.

Evan glanced over at her, his attention somewhat diverted as he replied. "I cannot say for Graham, however, I always let justice rule my decisions in work. If you are innocent, the evidence will show the truth." Evan insisted.

Emma rolled her eyes at him, running a hand through her hair. "Hey, Evan, are you sure you're alright?" Graham asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Ryan called." Evan replied, unsure of what else to say.

Emma glanced over at Ryan in surprise, moving towards his desk. "Wait, Ryan? That's the guy that owns that restaurant by the pawn shop, right?" she asked. Evan nodded, leaning back in his seat and wondering when his brother even met this girl in the first place. "You might want to keep an eye on him. He's got…well, he—" she began, but at that moment, the doors burst open and Henry rushed in with his teacher in tow.

Evan was wondering what Emma was about to say, curious if it related at all to Ryan's call. He heard their voices speaking, talking about releasing Emma already, but Evan's mind was worrying over what he knew. Ryan was impulsive, often acting before thinking, and if he had done something to this girl, he would be in trouble yet again. Maybe Ryan wanted to talk to him about it before things went as badly as they had gone the last time, and Evan just shut him out.

Evan let out a long sigh, glancing up and realizing that the extra group had already left. "Do you need some time off, Evan? I can handle things here if you need to see Ryan for a bit." Graham asked, while Evan shook his head, leaning back onto his desk.

"No, Ryan does not want me there. I would only get in the way." Evan stated. Despite Ryan's impulsiveness, Evan knew that his brother was the one that was stronger. Ryan protected the few people he cared about with all of his strength, even if his protection often led to violence. It was the one thing he admired about Ryan, but at the same time, it was what worried Evan the most. One day, he would protect his brother in return, but at the moment, he could not let it interfere with his job. Things had gotten so complicated quickly between them, and it would be a miracle if they ever found a way to repair what had been broken.

 _(Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Rin was about five when he got into his first fight. It was surprising to all of them, considering the fact that he lived quite a sheltered life. He was the adoptive son of the king, Snow's younger brother, and being raised by his step-mother, Regina. To the knowledge of his parents, Rin never left the castle, but the boy was a little mischievous even then.

With a smirk, Rin quickly ran outside when no one was looking. He wanted to play, and Yukio was too busy reading books to be bothered. Last time Rin tried to play with his brother, the boy beat him in what seemed like seconds. That was what told Rin just how smart Yukio could be. His brother would win at any intellectual game, though he refused to play any kind of athletic games with Rin. As a result, Rin decided games weren't all that fun to play with him.

The village wasn't that far from the castle, a small town where other kids would be. Rin knew they would play with him, and that it would be a lot of fun. This time, he would play hide and seek with the other kids. He had snuck out before and had a lot of fun with them, playing tag, and he knew that they would like his other game too. The trees made excellent hiding places, and Rin was a great climber.

"Hey, it's Rin!" a young girl shouted, seeing him there. She ran off from her mother's side, seeing the older woman shake her head and give them a smile. The child had long brown hair that matched her mother's, curly and wild as she rushed towards Rin. This was the friend he had made last time, a girl named Sophie that brought her friends along to play. "Alex wanted to join too, he's my older brother." Sophie stated, looking back towards her mother with pleading eyes.

"Alright, both of you can go have fun. Make sure you come back soon, and be careful. No leaving town, it is dangerous in the forest out there!" their mother insisted. The younger brother, with light blond hair grinned and rushed over. Rin was already having fun, just seeing the other kids here. Yukio would be jealous when he got back, and so would Snow. His older sister loved games, but she was too busy learning about the kingdom from her father to really join in.

"So, we're playing hide and seek, right?" Sophie asked, smiling eagerly as the three of them walked off into town.

Rin nodded, glancing over at the two as Alex frowned. "Yeah, but didn't Mother say not to leave town?" he asked worriedly.

Rin laughed it off, shaking his head at them. "Nah, there's nothing to worry about! I come from the castle all the time, and nothing bad ever happens." he insisted.

"Besides, it'll be more fun out there! Think of all the good hiding places in the trees, Alex." Sophie insisted.

Alex sighed, looking uncomfortable as they moved on. It didn't take them long to reach the edge of town, where all three children stopped and turned towards the center of the circle. "Alright, Alex is it first! He has to come find us." Rin declared, pointing over to the boy.

"Why me?" Alex asked, his blue eyes wide.

Rin grinned at him, placing his hands on his hips. "Because I said so, and as the son of the king, I've got authority over you." he insisted.

Sophie giggled by Rin's side, while Alex sighed and nodded in agreement. "Alright, fine. Just…don't go far, okay?" he requested, his voice quiet and worried.

"It'll be okay, Alex! Just take a deep breath, there's nothing out here that can hurt us." Sophie insisted, touching her brother's shoulder gently. The younger boy nodded, giving them a quick smile before he covered his eyes.

Rin rushed off on his own, trying to find a hiding spot as Alex began to count behind them. They only had thirty seconds to hide, which wasn't much time in a place like this. He immediately went towards the trees, wanting some cover with the branches as he looked for a good one to climb. With a grin, he spotted a massive tree, with plenty of branches lower down for him to get onto. As he moved to grab the tree and begin his ascent, he felt a hand touch his own making him jerk back and move towards the other side of the tree.

"Sophie?" Rin asked, seeing the girl glancing at him nervously. "Go find another tree, I was here first!" Rin shouted, seeing the girl glare at him in return.

"No way, this hiding spot is mine! You have to leave Rin." she insisted.

Rin glared at her, stomping on the ground in irritation. "I claimed it first, damn it! There are plenty of other trees to use, so just give it up." he insisted.

Sophie glanced at him, looking slightly irritated. "If there are so many other spots, you can just use them yourself. After all, I am a lady so I should get first pick." she insisted.

Rin glared at her, feeling anger rise within him. He wasn't all that familiar with anger, considering his family often gave him most of what he wanted. Living with a king had its perks, and that meant Rin was happy and comfortable back at home, even if he did get bored. Now, that anger burned within him, a dark emotion that Rin decided he really didn't like. "This is all your fault! I came here to play with you, so I should get to pick first!" he shouted.

Blaming Sophie only seemed to make this emotion stronger, Rin realized. He wanted to lash out, to do something to get rid of this feeling that threatened to consume him. It wasn't like his usual mood, that made him want to smile and laugh with others. Someone had to take away the dark feeling in him, but there weren't any adults to deal with it. "You're a meanie, Rin! I don't wanna play with you anymore, not if you yell at me like…like….like a demon!" Sophie insisted.

Those words, something about them made Rin snap. Demons were evil creatures, they hurt others unlike Rin. He only ever wanted to help, to see people smile and enjoying themselves. The anger that was threatening to consume his mind finally broke through and took control. With a growl, Rin charged forward and tackled the young girl, both of them tumbling down onto the grass and dirt below their feet.

Sophie let out a shriek, slapping Rin's shoulders to try and shove him away. "I'm not a demon!" Rin shouted, no longer caring about the game as he glared into Sophie's eyes.

The girl looked terrified, seeing blue eyes burning brightly before her, and teeth clenched tightly in the grimace of her old friend's mouth. Slowly, her breathing quickened as she squirmed beneath Rin, trying to free herself as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Rin…you're hurting me…please…" she begged, pushing at the boy to try and get him away.

"Take it back!" Rin demanded. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her again, slamming her down against the ground in anger. He wanted her to take it back, so he could get rid of this burning rage within him. If she took it back, he would feel better and they could play some more.

Sophie gasped in pain, before her crying turned into wails of pain. Alex heard the sound and rushed into the forest, finding Rin pinning Sophie to the ground. "Sophie…get away from my sister!" Alex shouted, making Rin turn back in surprise to see the blond boy throwing a punch at him. Rin stumbled off of the girl from the force of the punch, rolling over into the grass as Sophie rushed to her feet, scrambling to get away from Rin.

"I'm never playing with you again, Rin! You're a demon, and I'll tell all the kids in town about it too!" Sophie insisted through her tears, while Alex rubbed her back.

Rin felt hopeless, the anger still burning within him but somewhat faded as loneliness took its place. He just wanted some friends, other children to play with that wanted to run like him, instead of study like Yukio. "Come on, Soph, let's go. We don't need to waste any more of our time with that demon prince over there." Alex stated, a reference to Rin's former comment about being the king's son.

Even after the two kids left, Rin stayed on his back in the forest, just staring up at the sky. "I'm not…I'm not a demon…" he mumbled to himself, as if trying to convince himself it was true. Rin glanced down at his hands with a frown. That anger, he never wanted to feel it again. Maybe he was better off just being alone at the castle, without friends. After all, being with other kids brought out the worst in him, and showed him just what anger truly could do to someone like him.

 **Okay, this is actually the last chapter I have drafted out before I started disliking the direction I was going with the story to some degree. Ideas and reviews are welcome! They will inspire me to continue on!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

In Storybrooke, two new people had just arrived. No one had seen or heard from them, considering they kept to themselves and simply observed for the time being. A man with a white suit and matching white top hat stood next to his brother. With bright green hair, he truly would stand out among normal people, but at the moment, he was only watching as people came and went from a certain bar in this small town.

"Are you sure that's them? Last I heard, they weren't even in Assiah anymore." Amaimon asked, crouching down on the sidewalk with Mephisto standing behind him. He was leaning on his umbrella, smiling as he observed the young boy walk back inside, pocketing his phone with a frown on his face.

"Of course I am, there is no doubt in my mind. Can you not sense it within him? The power that is so similar to Satan's own flames." Mephisto asked.

Amaimon frowned, looking closer at the boy vanishing behind the doors of the Devil's Tavern. The demon began chewing on his nails as he studied the boy, turning back towards Mephisto once Ryan was no longer visible. "You may be right. Can I play with him soon and find out?" Amaimon asked, looking interested.

Mephisto sighed, moving along the sidewalk slowly. There was something else he needed here, after all. "Not yet, his power still remains sealed away. I'm sure you remember that much from our time in that realm." he commented.

Amaimon frowned, standing up and walking by Mephisto's side with his hands in his pockets. "Right…it seems I shall just have to wait a little longer before I play with him." the Demon King of Earth stated, while Mephisto smiled in agreement.

They both stopped in front of a building in town, with a sign outside calling it Gold's Pawn Shop. "You do realize this town itself is an oddity. Until twenty-eight years ago, it never even existed, and then suddenly it appeared. I've been watching it closely ever since, but something seems to have changed as of late." Mephisto commented, pushing the door open to the shop and walking inside.

A man stood behind the counter, smiling at the two demons who walked within before getting back to work on cleaning one of the antiques from the shop. "Is that so? Just what happened here, brother?" Amaimon asked.

Mephisto only smiled, his teeth showing as he knelt before a display case in the store. Within, a blade rested on display, sheathed in blue with a red case lying below to carry it within. A piece of paper rested on the base of the case, charred on the edges as if it had recently been on fire. "In due time, all will be revealed. For now, there is work to be done." Mephisto claimed, rising to his feet and glancing over at the shopkeeper.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Mr. Gold asked them, seeing the two observing the sword and walking closer. "This is truly a lovely piece, isn't it? The Koma Sword, I believe, excellent craftsmanship. If you'd like, I can pull it out for you to take a closer look."

Mephisto smiled at him, clasping both of his hands over the end of his umbrella. "Yes, quite so. In fact, there is no need to even unsheathe this blade, there is no doubt in my mind of its power." he insisted.

Gold smiled in return, leaning over the counter. "Well, just what are you willing to give me in return for such a blade then? I have to admit, I've grown quite fond of it over the last few years. Its value…well, it would be hard to put a price on such a thing." Gold commented.

Amaimon watched with interest, frowning at their interaction as Mephisto continued on with the discussion. "I see, in that case we best be off. I do not believe we brought the proper funds with us to purchase such a fine blade." Mephisto insisted, waving for Amaimon to follow.

"Have a nice day, I do hope you learn to enjoy our quaint little town. It is so rare to see new faces these days." Gold commented, while a small bell rang from the door opening in front of Mephisto.

"Did you not want the sword, brother? You could have taken it with ease, after all, that man was just a weak human." Amaimon asked, sounding confused as they moved down the streets of town. A few people gave them strange looks, their presences finally noticed by the others.

Mephisto spoke quietly, not wanting to alert the others. "He is more than he appears, a being of that other realm we were in. It seems as if Gehenna isn't the only realm with magic, Amaimon. We are in for a real treat here. Imagine the wonders we'll see once they bring it to this world!" Mephisto insisted, sounding eager for what was about to come.

"So, are we taking the sword later?" Amaimon asked, still interested in what had occurred just moments ago.

Mephisto's eagerness fell just a small amount, leaving the demon smiling at his brother. He gave Amaimon a small nod, glancing back towards the shop as they stopped at the end of the street. "Indeed we will. After all, it is about time we returned it to our dear younger brother, don't you think?"

Amaimon nodded, looking only mildly more interested as he stood next to his brother. "Yes, I believe it is. After all, the sooner he gets his powers back, the sooner we can play."

Mephisto smiled wider, glancing out at the town here. He was glad he left Japan for this, things here were so much more interesting than back home. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to see a demon awaken, especially one as powerful as the son of satan.

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted forest)_

Rin knew he had messed up, but it wasn't entirely his fault. He had just been trying to help, but unfortunately, that meant getting on his step-mother's bad side. That was why he was in this prison, a place built to contain even the most powerful of enemies. Regina had claimed to put him here because her other cells were full, but Rin knew better. She was afraid of him, seeing Rin as her son. At one point in time, she had seen a bit of herself in Rin, but the boy had buried his anger and hatred deep down within him.

Now, he was out of options. Shoved into a prison cell, he did his best to try and break free with sheer force. The walls of the cell were supposed to be impenetrable, designed to hold some powerful magic user Rin hadn't heard of before. They held up to that standard, refusing to even budge when Rin slammed his fists against the bars, tearing up his skin and leaving his knuckles bloody as he slumped down to his knees, waiting for some sign that this was just a nightmare.

"Is this really him? To be honest, I'm not all that impressed." a voice called out in the darkness, making Rin's head snap up.

On the other side of a cell was what appeared to be a young man. Rin didn't quite know how to react, considering the guy had _green_ hair. No one had hair like that, and to make it even more ridiculous, the guy had a single green spike sticking out from the top of his head. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Rin demanded, seeing the boy crouch down and study Rin for a moment.

"Oh, no one special. After all, I just came to pay my little brother a visit, but it seems I won't be able to do even that right now." the man commented, sounding only mildly disappointed.

Rin frowned in confusion, glaring over at the man. "What kind of an answer is that? I'm not your brother, I don't even know who you are!" Rin shouted.

"For someone so weak, you really do have a loud voice." Amaimon commented, tilting his head as he rose to stand straight. "Either way, I'm not allowed to play with you yet. It seems as if they are still sealed off within you, so I'll just have to wait a little longer. I promise to return later, and then we can have fun together."

Rin stared at him with wide eyes, watching as the man moved to walk out of the cavernous prison he found himself in. "Wait! Damn it, get me the hell out of here at least!" Rin shouted, but it was too late. The other man was gone, and Rin was left alone in the darkness, waiting for a rescuer that would never arrive.

 _(Today in Storybrooke)_

Night had fallen in Storybrooke, and now it was time for the demons to get to work. The pawn shop had only a simple lock on the door, after all, and it was child's play for Mephisto to get inside. "Keep in mind, Amaimon, the people of this town are not themselves. The magic in this place…well, I must admit I'm impressed humans are capable of such powers. No one seems to remember a thing from that other world, and for the time being, it would be best to avoid mentioning it."

Amaimon sighed, nodding in agreement as he stood on the other side of the pawn shop. Mephisto was busy dealing with picking the lock on the display case. "I still don't see what the big deal is. So what if the humans don't remember? Wouldn't that make them weaker?"

"Perhaps, but humans have a nasty habit of surprising others the moment they are underestimated." Mephisto smiled brightly as the case was opened, the lid opening with ease. Inside, the sword was ready for the taking, almost pleading with him to grasp it in his hands. "You'd be surprised how many times the exorcists tried killing me in the past. They really aren't all that fond of us."

"I've never had issues with them. Maybe they just don't like you." Amaimon looked rather uninterested, picking at something underneath his nails as he sat on one of the counters of the pawn shop.

Sometimes, it was hopeless trying to explain concepts to his brother. Lifting the red-cased sword, Mephisto gave a slightly forced smile to the other demon. "That is to be expected, considering you spend nearly all of your time in Gehenna. Tell me, when was the last time you actually visited your domain, brother?"

Amaimon blinked, his head leaning back and staring at the ceiling for a moment. "Hmm…I can't say. Likely around the time Rin was imprisoned I think. Unfortunately, that visit was cut short. You called me to that school of yours, claiming some emergency that had to be dealt with. Did you really need me to cause such a major distraction?" Mephisto only grinned, his teeth flashing towards his brother. That had been an interesting little piece of his game, one to get the vatican looking in the wrong direction. After all, he couldn't have them discovering his weapon before he even began to sharpen it.

"Perhaps if you learned to behave yourself, the distraction wouldn't have been so major." Really, just being spotted would have been enough, but Amaimon had wanted to go exploring. A simple visit to an amusement park had turned into a destructive rampage, nearly destroying the place and closing it down for months while it was under reconstruction. It had been just about to open for its peak season too, so Mephisto wasn't going to take his planned trip there this year. Those rides had always managed to calm him down after a stressful day of running True Cross Academy. "Besides, it got the job done. It wasn't as if Rin would have been all that amusing anyway. He still has no idea of his heritage, despite his potential."

Mephisto began to walk towards the door, slinging the strap of the case over his shoulder to carry the koma sword with him. Pushing the door open, he glanced back and waited for Amaimon to follow. After a moment, the green haired demon glanced over at him, tilting his head before shrugging and jumping to his feet. When he landed, he seemed to spread out his arms dramatically before running towards Mephisto, with an odd energy in his walk. "Oh, you are right about that, brother. Then again, that is why you brought me along now, isn't it? I'm the one that's going to get to test his potential."

"Oh yes. I can't think of anyone else better suited to the task, Amaimon. First, we have this little pesky matter of a curse to deal with, however." Walking out onto the sidewalks, Amaimon blinked at him with a frown. "Breaking it would normally take years to manage, but from my time in this other world, I've come to realize that there is more to this spell than meets the eye. The man who created it designed it to be broken, dear brother."

"And you are going to break it?" Amaimon focused on Mephisto for a moment, watching as his brother began to smile, folding his arms behind his back.

"Oh, heaven's no. That would be a waste of my time, especially with the way exorcists are already concerned about this area. They seem to think the numerous accidents occurring as residents leave town are related to some kind of demonic activity. The sudden appearance of an entire city…well, I don't have to explain what that would cause." He gave Amaimon a slight smirk. "No, the curse can remain in place for all of eternity, for all I care. My focus is going to be on restoring our dear brother's memories…and from there, we can see just how much pressure it will take to unleash his true power, the power he was always destined to wield."

The only noise in the street beyond the wind was Amaimon's clapping and gleeful laughter in response. "Yay! Finally, something entertaining to do." Spinning around, Amaimon laughed again and reached towards Mephisto, trying to grab the sword. Frowning, Mephisto dodged with ease, letting Amaimon pass by him harmlessly.

"All in due time, Amaimon. For now, we must have patience." Glancing over his shoulder, Mephisto couldn't help the smile spreading on his face. "After all, we have just potentially angered one of the most powerful magic users in this town. Perhaps the entertainment from him will be enough to satisfy you until the real challenge can begin."

 **It took me forever to work out this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but I really wanted to try and use this chapter to pick up the plot a bit more and steer it away from canon events in OUAT. Not that a lot of those things won't be happening, it is just likely that I'll gloss over the drama going on in Storybrooke with Regina/Emma/Henry to focus on different events going on as well. Plus, with the delay, I've realized I can't remember nearly as many specific details of season one of OUAT anyway, so it works out better for me too. I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

Mr. Gold was a well-known figure in Storybrooke. His pawn shop was one of the most popular businesses in town, to start with. As a wealthy business man and a collector of rare items, people came to him for numerous reasons. Whether they simply wanted quick cash for their old antiques or they were looking for something different to decorate their homes, Mr. Gold had it available for them in his store.

If that wasn't enough, Mr. Gold was also known for his ruthless tactics. He knew everyone, and if he was ever crossed, he found them and dealt out his own version of justice. Rarely did Sheriff Graham manage to catch someone who had crossed Gold before Gold found them himself. Those that Gold had gotten to always confessed to their crimes in an instant, and if they had bodily injury when confessing, it had always happened through some accident of their own fault. The fear in their eyes alone was enough to show that it was more, however.

Today, Mr. Gold was waking up peacefully. It was another day in their fine town, and he was expecting the usual business today. It wasn't as if he had gotten any new customers in a long time, after all. Actually, yesterday had been a bit of a surprise in that sense. Two complete strangers, not only in town, but in his shop nonetheless. He had made note of their appearances, and he had every intention of observing them while they were here.

Setting up shop was something he had gotten so used to he could almost manage it in his sleep. Opening his safe, Mr. Gold began pulling out the cash drawers, recounting them to make sure everything was in order. With no outside employees helping him, it was always up to him to make sure nothing went wrong. Unlike Granny, he did not have any family to help him with his business. Without young people looking for jobs in town, Gold couldn't exactly find employees either, so he managed on his own.

After opening the tills, Gold began the process of cleaning off his displays. Fingerprints often smudged the glass and made it difficult to see his wares. Making sure they were properly on display for customers was key to grabbing their attention. However, as he moved on to the last case to clean, Gold frowned. Something was off about this case, compared to the others. An empty space was resting inside, a place that Gold knew for sure had merchandise before.

Setting aside his cloth and glass cleaner, Gold frowned. Reaching forward, he began fingering the edges of the display. Sure enough, it was loose. Like most displays, his had been designed so that the key was needed to both lock and unlock the case. Whoever had gone through the effort to get inside had not bothered to relock it on their way out. Scowling in anger, Gold leaned forward on the edge of the case for a moment, his cane dangling in his hand. Then, the anger rose. Someone had turned on him. This town had lost some of its fear, not realizing how dangerous he could be.

Without thinking, he gripped his cane tighter. Lifting it, he smashed it into the open display case, shattering the glass. The sound echoed in the empty pawn shop, sending shards scattering onto the wooden floors. As he raised the cane to smash it into another case, Gold hesitated. There really was no reason for irrational anger, after all. This town had only begun changing because she was here now. Emma. Once he had heard the name in town, he knew how close he was. Really, losing a single sword was small in the overall scheme of things. However, it was still his sword.

With a slight smile, Gold realized perhaps he could use this to his advantage. There really weren't that many new people in town. The two that had been looking at the sword yesterday must have been the ones to have taken it. It was odd, how they had seemed so intrigued by the blade. Gold had only obtained it through the shop itself. Really, he didn't exactly know of its power, but he had seen the writing on the paper attached to the sheath. That blade had some form of enchantment on it, made by fairies. Having the sword here was keeping one of their treasures for himself. With his own history, he simply enjoyed having the ability to use it as leverage against them in the future. Really, he had never liked those fairies in the first place.

That was his other major secret in this town. Regina was still as clueless as ever, believing him to be nothing more than an unassuming pawnbroker. However, he had taken precautions to ensure his memories would return almost the instant Emma returned. He had obsessed over her name in his last few weeks, doing nothing but thinking of the savior. The moment he heard the name again, it all returned to him in an instant. That lovely name was his calling card, and now, he was back to his usual tricks. Mr. Gold the pawnbroker was no more, at least, that was the case underneath the surface. Right now, Rumplestiltskin had plans to go through with, starting with getting his property back in his shop where it belonged.

Slowly, Gold let his cane return to its spot on the ground. Spinning around, he disregarded the crushed glass on the ground. He heard the shards crack under his shoes, breaking down even further as he moved towards the door. Not bothering to turn the sign to open, he walked out into the street, intent on at least beginning this investigation quickly.

Normally, he would investigate personally. However, he had seen something unusual in those men yesterday. The one almost looked as if he knew that Gold was hiding something. He had tried to get the man to admit it with his cryptic comments, or to at least bring about enough discomfort for the man to leave town, but it appeared to have had the opposite effect. This time, he would turn the police to his advantage. Once Graham and Evan had located these strangers, Gold would have his way with them. They would tell him everything there was to know about that sword, and then he would make sure they regretted ever even thinking about coming to Storybrooke.

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Out of all the requests his step-mother had given him, Yukio was certain that this one was the worst. "I have been told to find a huntsman for this task, but after all this time watching you grow up, I am certain you are the one best suited to this task." The evil queen spun around, her black dress sweeping across the floor as she faced the twin who stood stiffly just by her side. Unlike his brother, Yukio had realized it was best to keep his mouth shut around their step-mother. She liked him as a result, taking his silence as loyalty and admiration for her.

With a slight smile, Regina reached out towards him and touched his cheek. "My son, one of the only family members I have left that truly cares for me." She tilted her head with a slight smile. "Do you know what would make me happy? What would please me beyond any other gift you have ever given me?"

Watching her descent into this path had been one of his main issues. He had tried speaking with his grandfather about the matter, hoping someone could reason with her. However, Regina's heart was broken, and that was something neither of them knew how to mend. "Snow White." Yukio knew her desires, even if he did not share them.

The smile widened, her red lips parting and revealing teeth. Her hand drew back, gently patting his shoulder before dropping to her side. They stood in a circular room in her castle, with a fireplace warming the area. "Well, I suppose that is close enough. Just having her here, however, would be vile. I couldn't possibly stand living with that wretched, horrible…ugh, don't even make me think of it!" Her smile vanished, turning into a grimace. "No, what I need is something far…crueler. Something far more pleasant to think of…what I want is her head on a spike. I want Snow to suffer for everything she put me through, to know my pain. To know what it feels like to have your own heart torn out in front of you, ripped to pieces as if nothing even mattered." She was getting more passionate the longer she ranted, her arms gesturing the motions of tearing away from her own chest as she mentioned her metaphorical heartbreak.

Taking a deep breath, Regina paused before turning back towards Yukio. "Father says…he says I should just try to be happy. But how? Yukio, how can I be happy, knowing she's still alive?"

"I don't know." In a way, it was the truth. His mother had become fixated on Snow, and everything in her life was compared to that of his sister's. "I wish I could tell you. There is nothing more I'd like than to be able to help guide you towards a path that would bring you happiness, that would bring you back to the woman I once knew you to be." For a moment, he had seen the kindness in her. Then, she had married into their family. Somehow, since that marriage, her smiles had seemed forced. He had seen her secret glares sent towards Snow, and while Yukio never heard the entire story, he had heard enough hints that Regina blamed Snow for the death of someone very important to her.

"And that's why you're my favorite son." Regina's eyes seemed moist with the comment. "Rin, that fool bought her lies. He claims she's the rightful queen of this kingdom, not seeing how treacherous she has always been. That girl, even as a child, has always had nothing but evil in her heart…but he is blinded by her lies and false promises, the promise that she will be his family, when he has always been just as alone as I am." Her gaze softened at Yukio. "You see the truth, however. You know how to make the hard decisions, how to harden your heart and do what needs to be done, no matter the cost. Snow's words, you saw through them, and realized that the only person who ever truly did anything towards raising you….was me."

The king had done plenty, and it wasn't exactly fair to judge Snow based on her ability to raise them when she was a mere child herself. However, he did nod, already aware of what Regina did to even the most loyal of soldiers who angered her. "I cannot wait any longer, Yukio. Snow remembers you, and she likely trusts you. Use that against her, just as she turned my trust in her against me." In her hands, black smoke appeared. As her magic faded away, a silver box remained in her hands, stretching out towards him. Holding it with one hand, she waved in the air with the other. Yukio had felt the warmth in his palms, glancing down in mild surprise to see an odd purple glow around them for a moment. "I've given you a gift, my son, and all I ask is for one small thing in return. Use this magic I've shared with you to bring me her heart. Tear it from her chest and bring it to me. I assure you, completing this task would indeed make me happy, Yukio."

A chill seeped under his skin and his face paled. His eyes widened, and he took a step closer to her. "You can't be serious! Mother, I can't—"

Regina spun around, a glare on her face as she narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying you won't do this for me? That Snow's life means more to you than my own?"

In Yukio's mind, he saw Rin, fighting in the grips of the royal guards. He heard his brother's shouts in the halls, crying out towards Yukio and begging him for help. Yukio had been powerless then, and he was still powerless now. Hardening his gaze, his jaw stiffened and he let his chin hit his chest, avoiding her piercing glare. "Not at all. I…I'll find her, Mother. But…promise me, if I do this…you'll finally let Rin go free. He didn't mean to hurt you. You said it yourself, he's simply confused and lost, after losing so many members of his family."

Arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Of course, my son. If you can do this for me, I will give you anything you desire. After all, we'd be a happy family again, without Snow around ruining our happiness at every turn. The three of us, together…I can't wait for it to become a reality." She spoke the words with a cold warmth, both filled with longing yet distant at the same time. In a way, Yukio knew she actually meant them, but she was too lost in her grief to truly feel that desire anymore. It made the words a hollow wish, one that she had already lost hope in achieving before she even realized her lack of hope herself. In a way, that was probably the saddest thing about her. Regina subconsciously had given up on happiness entirely, yet she couldn't stop moving forward until she had managed to find just some sliver of what she had when she was younger and in love with a stable boy.

 _(Today, in Storybrooke)_

Things were changing rather quickly in the law enforcement office of Storybrooke. For as long as Evan could remember, it had always been just him and Graham running everything. However, now, Emma Swan seemed to be taking up a more prominent role in law enforcement. Likely, it was due to the flirting going on between the sheriff and the blond, but Evan knew better than to pry into his personal life. For now, he had other things to worry about, starting with the mayor's constant insistence that Emma was up to no good.

The claims that woman made were often backed with some evidence, but it was rare that she began building a case like this strongly against a single individual. Regina wanted Emma gone, that much was clear. However, she had yet to truly create anything warranting an actual arrest of the girl again, and Graham seemed to enjoy taking her on patrols lately. At the moment, they were both out on some training task, leaving Evan running the office alone. With the two of them out, he could expect donuts and coffee upon their return, despite the delay occurring while on the clock. It wasn't his money paying them, so he supposed he couldn't exactly complain.

His mind was still conflicted since the other day when Ryan called. Maybe he should have tried to listen, but it had been so difficult to believe that Ryan actually wanted his help again. How long had it been since their last pleasant conversation? Evan was never good at remember exact details, but he felt like it had been in another lifetime that his brother and him were on speaking terms.

Lost in thought, Evan barely noticed the sound of the door opening. He didn't even bother glancing up, assuming it was Graham and Emma on their way into the office. However, his assumption was incorrect. When he heard an odd clicking noise tapping against he floor, indicating something other than footsteps, Evan finally looked up. With a frown, he stared over his linked fingers on the desk to see Mr. Gold entering the office and approaching him.

"Ah. Mr. Oakson, correct?"

"Just Evan is fine, Mr. Gold." Evan watched as Mr. Gold paused, glancing around the room blandly. "What brings you in today? Don't tell me you're actually reporting a crime to us this time, rather than looking into the matter on your own."

He disliked this man's way of operating. While Evan tolerated it because he had no way of actually taking down Mr. Gold, men like him made justice almost impossible to achieve. No one gained when violence was the only answer used to deal with crimes. "Actually, I am. I am here to report stolen merchandise, one that you might wish to make a bit more urgent to retrieve." Evan narrowed his eyes, wondering why this was so different than before. Mr. Gold never came to them. He must want something this time, but Evan couldn't imagine what they had that Gold could want.

After pausing, Mr. Gold leaned forward onto his cane with a slight smile. Seeing he wasn't continuing without prompting, Evan pushed his glasses further up his nose and leaned back in his chair. "Very well. Have you filled out the forms already, Mr. Gold? We need them for our records before we can begin an actual investigation." Wordlessly, the man handed over the paperwork, detailing the incident and the time his merchandise was noticed missing. When Evan saw the description of what was taken however, he grew still. "A sword? Someone stole a weapon from your store? Since when do you leave things like that out in the open? That's just asking for trouble."

Gold studied him for a moment, his fingers tightening on the top of his cane. "I never claimed it was, dearie. I keep my valuables locked down at night. No, this was a planned robbery. In fact, I already know who took it. My issue lies in finding them." This was new. Gold could always find people, sometimes even better than the police force. He had connections that Evan and Graham simply did not, and it was far more efficient using his channels to get things done.

"Well, until we find more evidence, I can't actually convict anyone."

Waving him off, Gold shook his head and scowled. "You want evidence? Only one person has ever even looked at that sword, and it happened on the same day it was stolen. Not to mention they were complete strangers to town." Maybe it was a bit suspicious, but there was still no guarantee. Perhaps he could find some DNA at the shop to actually link their presence to being near the case the sword had been held in.

The door opened again, revealing Emma and Graham returning. As predicted, the smell of coffee entered with them and Emma placed a bag down on his desk as she walked by. "Hey." Her gaze flickered over towards Gold, her arms crossing over her chest. "What's up this time?"

"Mr. Gold here was reporting a theft. It appears as if someone in our fair town wished to be in possession of a sword. For what reason, well…let's just hope we find them before they actually realize their goals." Evan didn't want to think of things going that far. There had never been any severe cases like murder in Storybrooke. Always, petty theft was the worst of it. A few kids shoplifted from local gas stations, looking for a quick snack, but they always stopped with a few stern words. Henry's recent runaway act had been the worst incident to happen in years, and Evan knew that other towns had it far worse than them.

Graham blinked, glancing between them. "A sword? If you're gonna steal a weapon, it seems like an odd choice. Did you have more security on the guns or something?"

"Similar, I suppose. The shop gets locked up overnight, and each case has a lock of its own as well." Mr. Gold smiled at them, leaning against the wall as he spoke. "Now, for our prime suspects, I suggest you start looking for two rather odd individuals, non-Storybrooke residents."

"Non-residents?" Emma frowned, glancing towards the others. "I thought I was the only person from out-of-town here right now? Henry keeps saying you guys don't get visitors often."

"While that is commonly the case, Ms. Swan, I assure you, two newcomers arrived yesterday, expressing a rather unusual interest in the koma sword." Focusing on Evan, Gold smiled. "One was dressed rather oddly, with a pure white suit complete with a cape and top-hat. Defining features include almost pointed ears, and blue hair. As for his companion, that individual is slightly shorter, with green hair and blue eyes."

Making a few notes, Evan frowned. "Green hair? Pointed ears? If you expect me to take you seriously, Mr. Gold, you have to give us something real to work with." It just wasn't possible for those to be natural features. Perhaps the hair could have come from dye, but the ears just didn't make sense.

"Don't believe me, if you want. However, don't come blaming me when bodies start turning up in town." Mr. Gold began walking away, waving as he moved towards the door. "Remember, I'm the one that normally solves my own cases. Mr. Oakson. Do not underestimate me, and do not think I am foolish enough to imagine these strangers. They are real, and they are in town. I assure you, they are more dangerous than you think they are, so be on guard should you encounter them." With that ominous warning, Mr. Gold pushed the doors open and left. In the office, Evan began to wonder if their small team was actually large enough to stop this now-armed threat. After all, if Mr. Gold was coming to them, maybe it was because this threat was greater than what he was willing to take on. If so, what kind of job were they getting involved in? Once again, Evan couldn't help but feel an odd chill, wishing he had taken that chance to speak to Ryan sooner. Now, he just might never see his brother again if this case went as badly as Mr. Gold was predicting it would.

 **Updates will still be slow on this story, since I'm still trying to figure out my draft. However, it has been forever since I updated, and I now have a reviewer quite eager to see more (thank you for the review, Pizza Man!). Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

 _(Many Years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Red had known Snow for years. Really, the runaway princess had been the one that saved her, no matter how many times Snow insisted it was otherwise. The princess had shown her that she wasn't a monster after she killed her first true love. Snow had made it feel like she could be a person, even if the wolf threatened to control her life. So, she clung to that feeling. She clung to Snow like a lifeline, afraid of losing the one sense of normalcy she had gained in a long time. As a result, she had to become useful to her friend. So, when the weather grew cold and harsh, too harsh for them to scavenge the forests for supplies, Red took her to a town on the outskirts of the kingdom.

Overall, there wasn't anything noteworthy about the village Red found herself inside of. She had asked Snow to wait for her to return, while she made sure it was safe. These days, they never knew when a member of the queen's guard would be patrolling around. Unlike most villages, however, Red didn't even see the usual wanted signs hanging up on the sides of buildings throughout town. People brushed past her, pulling on her red cloak as they walked by.

One person stopped, turning towards her with a frown. He wore long robes of white, and there was a golden chain around his neck with the symbol of an odd cross on it. In his hand was a massive book, and as he studied her, Red wondered what was wrong. "Young miss, are you new to town?" Nodding, Red tried for a smile. In return, the man did the same and held out his hand. "My name is Gregory, and I am the man of god to the people here. Tell me, have you seen your own inner light, miss?"

"Inner light?" Red had never heard people speaking like this elsewhere. Was this something new? A type of magic? Maybe it could hide her and Snow from the queen.

Nodding, the man pulled his hand back and gestured around the town. "Indeed. God watches over us all, seeing and growing the light within our souls. So long as we stay away from the path of sin, he will watch over us and protect us. Even should we stray from his ways, he forgives us and pardons us for our crimes. Such a merciful man, our god." Tilting her head, Red couldn't help but wonder if this god really could protect them. No one needed protection more than Snow, after all.

"Who is this god? Is he a magic user, like the queen?"

Gregory laughed, shaking his head. "Magic? My, you must have come from far away to speak of such things, little one. Magic is evil in these lands, and while we may live in the queen's realm, we do not tolerate the use of such things in this town." He leaned closer to Red with a slight wink. "Just don't tell her I said that, alright? We've gotten by without notice from her thus far, but that doesn't mean she is as merciful as our lord. Should she hear of our hatred for the evils of her power…well, there is no telling what would become of us."

"What are you trying to do now, old man?" A rather irritated voice came from a man standing inside the door of a building. There, Red saw a teenager about her age with dark black hair and blue eyes. "Don't tell me you're trying to sell your religion crap to this girl now. This town tries to convert every stranger that walks through. Some people don't want to believe in a higher power, you know."

"Rin! Watch your language. You know the lord dislikes hearing words of that nature."

Gregory reprimanded the boy with ease, but it only made Red smile to see the interaction. She had been a rebel too, at one point. Granny hadn't liked the fact that she was seeing a boy at all, but Red had ignored her anyway. "Whatever." He turned his head away from the older man, instead focusing on Red. "So, who are you anyway? You looking to stay, or just passing through?"

Glancing back towards the forest, Red couldn't help but smile. "I…I think we might stay for a while. My friend, Mary, she's been on the run for a while. If the queen really ignores you as much as you claim she does, this town might be perfect for us."

Rin raised an eyebrow at that. "Avoiding the queen? You don't seem like the kind of person to get on her bad side." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning forward as he approached her. "You know something about Snow, don't you?"

Startled, Red took a step back. "I'm sorry?"

Before he could reply, Gregory placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back with a sigh. "Rin, this is not the way we treat our visitors. I know you are new to this town, but so long as you are staying off of my generosity, I suggest you follow our rules. We would not want the almighty to smite us down for your attitude, now would we?"

He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Come on…I wasn't that bad. Is there something wrong with wanting to get some kind of info on my sister? No one talks about her, and those that do…well, let's just say it hasn't been anything good in a long time."

"Sister?" Red spoke with wide eyes. Snow had never mentioned family beyond her mother, step-mother, and father.

Nodding, Rin laughed and gave her a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Oops, didn't mean to let that slip. Yeah…I'm kinda the adopted son of the king. When Snow was exiled and my father passed…" He trailed off, looking away. "Let's just say home didn't exactly feel like home anymore. I've been trying to find her since then, actually. Figured we could split town together. It isn't as if I have anywhere else to go." There was an almost glazed-over look in his eyes. "Yukio…he'll figure the truth out sooner or later. We'll go back for him…or he'll meet up with us…or…" He trailed off again, his ramblings no longer making sense. However, Red could see the sorrow in his eyes. It looked like how she felt when she remembered the family she was away from. Granny wasn't with her anymore, and she had been forced to kill her own mother to protect Snow. She was alone, even though she didn't want to be.

Reaching out her hand, Red gave him a slight smile. "If you're looking to help Snow, you should have just said so in the first place." Rin's jaw nearly dropped, his eyes widening. The dumbfounded expression made Red's smile widen, nearly making her laugh. He was rather cute like that. As he took her hand, Red felt an odd jolt rush up her arm. Her hairs stood on end, and for some reason, her instincts told her to run. However, she ignored it and kept smiling at the boy. "My name's Red. If you follow me, I really think my friend Mary would like to meet you."

With that, Rin nodded and let his hand drop to his side. He still looked lost, but he didn't argue when Red turned to walk back towards the forest bordering town. With Rin behind her, she couldn't help but wonder how Snow would react to seeing him again. After all, it had likely been years since she encountered her brother. She hoped he really was someone she could trust. After all, her hair still hadn't relaxed after shaking his hand. For some reason, her instincts were pushing her on edge. As they got to the edge of the town, Red stopped and turned back. She sniffed the air, smelling little to warn her of any danger. Rin was right behind her, frowning at her hesitation. However, she merely shook her head and began walking again. It was probably just her imagination, after all. With supplies purchased from a merchant's stall before she ran into Gregory, she even had enough to leave if Snow decided Red's instincts were better to listen to than her thoughts. So, she put a smile on her face and began tracing her own steps back to the hiding place she had found for Snow, ignoring the odd foreboding feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

( _Today in Storybrooke)_

Lunch was actually a slower time at the Devil's Tavern. Competition with Granny's almost always lead to Ryan having to watch so few customers come to him during what would normally be a prime business time for a restaurant. Likely, it was due to the fact that he didn't exactly offer much in terms of promotions for lunches. At Granny's, she had some kind of special deal for people coming in anywhere between twelve to two, but Ryan didn't bother with that kind of effort. Instead, he let the food draw people in, hoping that at least some people would value quality over price. In some cases, it worked. However, it also meant he relied heavily on breakfast and dinner hours to make profits.

Today was no different than most days for his lunch hour. Ryan could see a few scattered tables with people at them, but nothing really to brag about. Employees were getting some extra cleaning done, wiping off tables and sweeping floors while they had the chance. With plenty of employees on the clock, Ryan was taking the time to actually get a break today. Lately, he felt like he spent way too much time in the kitchen. They were hurting for help, and right now, he was one of the only people able to manage that position. Training new people was a challenge too, since most of the people coming in were too young to actually understand the work that went behind a job. In a way, Ryan could relate, but as a business owner, he wasn't able to tolerate it.

"Operation Cobra isn't exactly going according to plan." Henry sat down at the table with Ryan, tossing his bag into the booth and leaning back with a slight groan. The kid had somehow snuck up on him, but Ryan still smiled. "I don't know how to make my mom believe in the first place. She's too concerned about dealing with Regina first, and she can't seem to grasp the full concept yet."

Nodding, Ryan saw one of the servers spot them and smile. She moved back into the kitchen, likely getting Henry's favorite. He always ordered hot chocolate with cinnamon on top, and after trying it on Henry's suggestion, Ryan decided it wasn't that bad himself. "Some people just don't get it. Do we have anyone else on board yet?" He knew Henry was looking for allies on this, but Ryan still felt kind of guilty about it. Being a part of this operation, he should have at least tried to do something. However, he never saw Emma in the tavern. From what he had heard from Ruby when she stopped by, Emma preferred Granny's to his place.

"Well, Ms. Blanchard might be willing to help out. She's my teacher." Henry smiled, putting his book on the table. "And in her other life, she's Snow White."

"A princess? Man, she's gotta be awesome. Movies alone describe it all…having servants, great food, an awesome castle…that would be the life."

Rolling his eyes, Henry opened the book and shook his head. "You know that's not what the real stories are like. Snow was a wanted criminal, because the evil queen was in charge." That made Ryan frown for a brief moment. Even in Henry's storybooks, there were no fairy tale endings. It just seemed wrong.

"Right, forgot about that piece." Ryan laughed it off nervously. Rubbing the back of his head, he glanced around instead. The server was returning with hot chocolates on her tray for both of them. "Still, knowing who she is probably helps. I mean, you can figure out who could help her remember from there. Did you find Prince Charming yet? He'd probably help break the curse. You know, true love's kiss and all, that seems to have a trend in your book."

"I know! Plus, they always find each other, no matter what." Henry pulled the book closer to him, his eyes bright. "Actually, though…I was hoping you might be able to do something." He looked hesitant, letting the book drop to his table. "The thing is…you might not want to, though."

Snorting, Ryan leaned across the table and gave Henry a smirk. "Now, why would you think that? Of course I'll help. After all, I am your first supporter in this town. Besides, if it means getting a better life than this, I'm all for it." Having magic for starters would be amazing. Then again, based on that little flame trick he had done before, it might not be that far away from him here. He glanced away at that thought, frowning. Surely, he had just been imagining the heat in his hands. There really wasn't any way he could just create fire by being angry.

Taking a sip of his drink, Henry seemed to be trying to avoid meeting Ryan's gaze. However, it wasn't even necessary since Ryan himself wasn't paying attention. "Well, the thing is…my real mom got a job. In town." Ryan hummed, just to let the kid know he was still listening. Really, he didn't understand how this affected him at all. What did a job have to do with making her believe her son was telling the truth anyway? "She's kinda working as a deputy at the sheriff's office. That means she's working with your brother, right? You could call him and—"

"No way am I talking to that four-eyed mole-face!" Ryan was on his feet before Henry could even finish. "That ba—" Ryan just barely stopped himself from swearing in front of the kid. That probably wouldn't look good for him. "—jerk won't even bother helping me when I try bringing him an actual problem for once. Did you know I tried calling him the other week? Do you wanna know what he told me?" Henry was keeping his head low, holding his mug like the liquid inside could stop Ryan's raised voice. "He called me a child. Claims I was just an interruption to his job. Trust me, Evan will not be able to help you with anything I can't do, Henry. Why can't I just talk to Emma instead?"

With a slight smile, Henry shook his head. "Well, you didn't exactly give her the greatest first impression."

In an instant, Ryan's mood shifted. It looked like Henry wouldn't force him to talk to Evan after all. Realizing that, he smiled and rubbed the back of his head again. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I pretty much screwed that one up from the moment she first spoke to me. Can you believe she thought I was corrupting you or something?"

"No way! You're one of the best guys in town, the only one who even talks to me about any of this stuff." Henry pushed his mug to the side to focus more on him. "In fact, it has me thinking…what if there's another way to break the curse? I mean, the book says Emma has to do it, but she's already in town. So, that could just be one piece of the puzzle…there could be something we're missing, another person that could destroy it while she's around to keep time moving forward."

"Then how would getting Evan to talk to Emma even help in the first place?" Ryan couldn't follow the wild imagination Henry had at times. His theories got too complicated for him, so he usually just rolled with whatever the kid threw at him.

"That's plan A, but everyone knows that plan A doesn't normally work out. Villains are always out there, trying to take away the happy endings, so we need to plan around that." Henry flipped his book around, showing Ryan a page on the surface. It looked like an artistic rendering of some town in the medieval ages, but what made Ryan's eyes widen was the blue surrounding the borders of the image. Drawn with a crude hand, blue flames seemed to be eating away most of the image, making the wood-built cabins nearly impossible to make out, and revealing only a single screaming face in the background, just beyond the edges of the flames. "See this? Even I don't know what caused it to happen, but this town was a place Red Riding Hood had been using to get Snow resources while she was on the run. Somehow, the villains destroyed it, so Red turned to her second plan—a farmer's field that had long ago been abandoned due to some raid the evil queen had put up. Because she made a plan B, Snow managed to survive when she had no one else to turn to. That's what we need to work on now, Ryan. We need a plan B."

As Henry spoke, Ryan couldn't help but feel distraction at the edges of his mind. While this drawing was no where near realistic, it did bring back memories of the day he met Emma Swan. The same flames seemed to have burned the lamp post in the street. Were they real? If so, how did they exist in a world where magic supposedly wasn't real? Ryan didn't know, but in a weird way, he was beginning to feel more confident in Henry's theories every day. The kid was on to something, and somewhere within the pages of his book, Ryan had a different life where maybe there was more to him than just a simple man trying to be more useful than an uncoordinated cook.

 _(Many Years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Red wasn't certain what she was expecting. When she found Snow, still resting at the base of a tree, she smiled. "You're back." Snow smiled towards Red, rising to her feet. "Did everything go well? Are we staying here for tonight then?"

Grinning, Red reached out and grasped Snow's arms. "Better. I found someone…someone who's been looking for you."

The look in Snow's eyes was wary, looking at Red doubtfully. "The only people looking for me right now work for the queen…Red, you know this. Please tell me you didn't bring anyone with you here…" She trailed off, just as Rin stepped out from behind Red with a grin.

"Wait a second…I thought you said I was meeting Mary? You little…" Rin trailed off, glaring at Red for a moment.

Shrugging, Red held her hands up as if in surrender. "What did you expect me to do? Snow is a wanted criminal, and to me, you're just a stranger. Sorry, but I'm not going to lead a potential soldier to my friend's doorstep." She paused for a moment, glancing around them. "Er…tree step? Sorry, we haven't exactly been having much luck finding a place to stay lately."

"It's cool, I get it. Regina never goes easy on anyone, after all." Glancing towards Snow, Rin paused for a moment. "So…how've you been? Last I saw, you were being chased down by armed guards from the castle."

It took a moment for full recognition to reach Snow. Once she finally accepted it was him, a smile broke out across her face and Snow pushed past Red. Her arms reached up to wrap around Rin's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "Rin. It's been so long…how did you ever get away?"

While it didn't answer his question, he still smiled and patted her back gently. "Yeah, it has. As for getting away…Yukio helped with that. I told him to come with me…but he wouldn't listen. He claims that it would've been better if we both stuck around, but I insisted on finding you instead. So, when I was almost caught…Yukio stepped in. Claimed he needed me to grab something from town, so they let me go. Besides, it wasn't like I was a wanted criminal, not like you." With a grin, Rin pulled back and shrugged. "Sure, Mom doubted my loyalty after how much of a fight I put up against her charges against you, but she didn't see me as a complete criminal. Probably ruined that one now, though."

It was weird hearing anyone refer to the queen as a mother, even though she had married into a family. Red saw the way Rin said it without thought, likely having been trained to call her that since a young age. "Always a reckless one, aren't you, Rin?" Snow shook her head, sighing. "You really shouldn't have come for me. It's safer for you at home, so long as she thinks you're on her side. If I had a choice, I wouldn't have picked this life."

"That's my problem to worry about, not yours." Rin looked defiant, crossing his arms over his chest. "So stop trying to make me feel bad for coming to help you. Just thank me and get on with explaining your plans to escape."

Snow laughed, before smiling and nodding. "Thank you, Rin. I really do mean it. It's nice to see a friendly face. To be honest, I didn't expect to see either of you two again. I figured Regina would be keeping you under lock and key."

"Nah, she's actually been too obsessed with you to really focus on what Yukio and I are up to." Rin glanced over towards Red, as if realizing she was lost in the conversation thus far. "Still, you already know what life in the castle is like. I'm more interested in you. Looks like you've made a friend."

Placing a hand on Red's arm, Snow nodded. "A good one. Red has been helping me survive out here, until I can manage to scrounge together enough funds to purchase passage out of the kingdom."

"So that's what your plan is? Save money and take off on some boat?" Rin frowned, kneeling down. "I could've come up with that one. Not very creative, if you ask me."

"What did you expect?" Red spoke, watching him blink at her in surprise. "If I were her, I probably would have assumed the same thing. When people are chasing you, and your life is in danger…sometimes, the simplest answer is the only one you can manage." It was what she had done, when her village learned that she was the wolf. She had run away, not looking back. Peter was gone, and she wasn't even allowed to stay for his funeral.

She hadn't thought about Peter this much in a long time, she realized. "And what about you? I'm helping her because we're family. Not that there's anything wrong with helping out a friend, but it takes some serious concern to go up against the queen for a friend."

"She stayed by my side when no one else would." Red didn't really want to explain any further. For some reason, she felt like it might not be the best time to do so. The odd instinct inside of her was still screaming that they should be leaving this place as fast as possible. Oddly, she could now see that it was different than whatever put her on edge about Rin. The longer she was near him, the more she realized his scent was actually part of what was making her alert about him. He didn't quite smell right, almost like there was something unnatural layered with his human scent.

Sniffing the air, Red wondered if she could pick up on another sign as well. Seeing her actions, Snow frowned and stared at her. "Is something wrong, Red? You look a bit…on edge."

"She does?" Rin blinked at Red, tilting his head. "I didn't notice it. She's been like this since we started leaving town."

"Something doesn't feel right. I don't know how to describe it…but part of me thinks we should get as far away from this place as possible." Red glanced over towards Rin, aware that he likely would be more lost on this than Snow was. Wolf instincts weren't exactly easy for normal people to grasp, especially if they didn't even realize where those instincts were coming from.

Instead of shouting at her like she expected, Rin rose to his feet and narrowed his eyes. His gaze was focused in the direction of the town, intently staring as if he could see it from where he stood. "Now that you mention it…there is something odd about this area. Throughout all of my time traveling, I've never once heard of this religion this town keeps preaching about. Red heard some of it from Gregory, but the basic principle is that these people worship a deity that they think grants them everything in the world."

"And that makes the town dangerous?" Snow raised her eyebrows, clearly doubting what Rin was saying.

Stomping his foot, Rin scowled at her. "I don't know! I'm just saying it's weird, alright? You'd think more people would have heard about it at least." Frowning, Rin focused back in the distance. "They're good people, Snow. A bit strange, and unusual, but they took me in after I realized I couldn't get by on my own."

She glanced towards Red, a half-smile on her face. "Sounds like someone else I know." She paused, still hesitating as she joined them on her feet. "Red, what do you think is best? Rin says the town is safe, even if a bit different. Are you sure there's danger down there?"

"You do realize there's a better way to figure that out, right?" Rin turned towards them with a grin. "I'll go check it out. Unlike you two, I know the town. If anything seems weird, I'll just come back and tell you what's up. If everything is fine, then we can stick around for another night."

"Rin, you can't do that on your own!" Snow reached out towards him, but Rin slipped away before she could grip him. "You have no weapon, no training—"

"I'll go with him." Red smiled, happy to appease Snow's worries. When she caught sight of Rin's open mouth and the slight glare in his eyes, Red continued on. "And we better get moving quickly. The sooner we figure out what's up, the sooner we can make plans." Glancing back at Snow, Red became a bit more serious. "If something is wrong, we meet at the meadow. Rin, you'll be able to find it about a day's walk north of here, just across the shallow of the river."

"Hey! What makes you think I'll fail so quickly?"

"I don't…I just have a really bad feeling about this." Pulling her hood over her head, Red began walking with that. Once again, Rin followed with a slight huff of irritation.

When the night became a bit brighter than the normal light of the stars, Red began slowing her pace. There was something off about the glow in the area, and it seemed to be stronger from the direction of the town. "I feel like I know this smell." Rin spoke quietly, making Red wonder if she head him correctly. Sniffing the air, she realized it did have a rather unusual scent to it. It reminded her of a campfire, yet somehow it was a bit fresher and less smoky. In a way, the smoky scent was replaced by something almost rotten, like animal flesh instead. "Why? Why is it familiar?"

Hesitating, Red decided to at least try and give him some kind of an answer. "You smell a bit like this. Normally, people only smell alike if they're related somehow." She paused for a moment, glancing towards him. "However, I really doubt that's the cause of it this time."

Nodding, Rin kept his gaze clouded over, as if trying to recall some memory she had no clue about. When they continued moving forward, a bit more slowly, Red finally saw what had caused such an unnatural blue glow in the sky. Blue flames were ignited all over the town, burning away each and every building to ash. She could hear the screams, even from the trail far away from the center of the town. One person was near the path leading out, screaming and holding out her hands towards Red and Rin. Part of Red's heart broke at the sight, tears forming in her eyes as the woman collapsed to the ground, too weak to keep moving.

"Blue flames…" A voice from behind them made Red and Rin freeze, turning around slowly. Snow had followed them, quietly tracking them through the forest to see where they were going. "Rin…how long were you in this town for?"

The question seemed out of place, making Red frown. However, Rin was pale, his gaze turning towards Snow with wide eyes. "No…you can't possibly think…Snow, you know me. Come on, I'm your little brother. You found me as a baby, I'm not actually capable of doing anything like…like this." Even Red had heard the accusation in Snow's tone.

"I don't think you'd do this intentionally, Rin, that's not what I'm trying to—"

"But you still think I'd do it unintentionally?" Rin scowled, spinning around with a glare. "You know what…you were right. I should have stayed with Regina. At least she didn't claim I was a monster capable of killing an entire town without even being around to see the effects!"

"Rin!" Red tried reaching out for him, seeing the boy hesitate for a moment. "Listen to me, we aren't blaming anyone just yet. We just want to know what's going on." However, that was when someone from inside the town actually managed to make it far enough to stand in front of them. His eyes were almost jagged, blue flames spewing out from his skin as blood dripped from his nose and onto the ground.

"Wh—where is she?" There was an odd echo to his voice, as if it wasn't his to control. The layered effect sent chills down Red's spine, but Rin seemed to narrow his eyes.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Y—Yuri…my child…where are they? Damn exorcists…damn weak hosts…I'll find you, and when I do…" The body collapsed again, the flames dying away. However, Rin was already glaring at the ground, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark black pants.

"There you go, Snow. Yuri and that guy's child. Want someone to blame? Find them and ask them questions about why they'd want to kill these people." Turning towards Red, Rin scowled. "I get that she's your friend, Red, but you don't have to side with her all the time. I've seen others look afraid of me before…they always have that same look in their eyes before they call me a demon. Never thought I'd see Snow look at me like that, though."

It was just like her, Red realized. She blinked at Rin, a hand reaching out without thinking. The flames were already dying away with an unnatural speed, but she hadn't even realized what this disaster meant for Rin. These people, the ones that had taken him in, they were all dead. "I'm sorry, Rin. I…I wish I could do something." When he didn't reply, simply focusing on the burning town, Red looked away. After a brief pause, she tried for a small smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I know you're not a demon. If you're really looking for some kind of monster like that…well, I guess that'd be me."

"Red! You're not—" Red silenced Snow's objection with a harsh look.

"It's my secret, Snow. I want to tell him." Looking away, Red sighed. "Besides, I can't say he's wrong. I've never seen you look at anyone like that, not even me after what happened to Peter."

There was a look in Snow's eyes, a regret for an action she couldn't take back. "I'm sorry…really, it's just…I've seen flames like these before. The same night I found Rin and Yukio, I saw blue flames just like these."

That made Rin turn around, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait, you did?" After a moment, his eyes narrowed and he began frowning at the ground. "Then this isn't an isolated incident. Whoever this is…whoever this Yuri is, we better find her. Otherwise, who knows how many more towns will be destroyed like this one in some madman's search for the girl."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Red saw Rin smile at her, nodding in agreement. "Well, I guess I better get this out of the way now. You already know that my name's Red, but I suppose I should've mentioned that I'm a werewolf. This cloak is the only thing keeping me human right now."

"Wait..so you actually turn into a wolf at night? That has got to be so awesome! Do you run really fast? Can you actually smell things from miles away? Oh, what about the howling at the moon thing? What's that all about?" He was a lot like an eager kid, asking her more questions than she expected. However, Red began laughing, and quickly, a calmness had settled over their trio. Snow was forgiven, but despite the light-hearted conversation, Red knew Rin was just trying to distract himself. Behind them, the last of the flames burned away, leaving them all without a single trace of the mystery of the town that seemed to have truly been struck down by flames sent from some unnatural force no one understood.

 **Man, it's been a while since I've come back to this story. However, on the upside...I have managed to finish a draft of this story. I'm not all that pleased with how it ends, but with how many people enjoy this fic thus far, I figure having an ending is better than none. Thank you to my guest reviewers, NoName, Pizza Man, and Tar! I'm glad you all enjoyed, and hopefully, I'll be updating this story a little more often soon (classes are almost over...yay!). Feel free to review and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

Working out a plan B was easier said than done. Ryan and Henry had been sitting at the table for what felt like hours. While it may have irritated a few of the employees, Ryan really didn't care. He was the owner, and if they had an issue with him, they could leave. "So, I think I rather like something similar to what you mentioned before. True love always wins, and it can break any curse. So…if my Mom isn't going to believe, we need to find a way to bring back at least one of the happy endings."

Nodding in agreement, Ryan pulled the book over to him. "Got it. Who do we know for certain in town, then? I mean, you already said you're kinda clueless about me, so I'm out, right?" Henry patted his hand, nodding.

"Yeah, but I'm still working on it. It's weird with you…there's something about you that makes me feel like I should know who you are, but it really isn't clicking." Henry glanced towards the book in Ryan's hands, flipping a few pages. "So, our options…if we find Prince Charming, we can try and get him together with Snow. That would be ideal, but at the moment…I really have no idea who he is. Have you seen him around?" Henry pointed to a picture with the faces of both Snow and her prince. Ryan only shook his head.

"Well, what about the others?" Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat. "I figure Ashley is Cinderella, but it's not like her prince is anywhere around. We don't have a sleeping beauty, and getting a happy ending for your mom would just be ridiculous. Who else is there?"

Ryan was beginning to wonder if there was more work to be put into this than he wanted to exert. Really, it was almost sounding like a job, breaking this curse. However, if it could help the people in this town, he would do it. "Well…just because we don't know who you are, doesn't mean we can't try and work with that." Henry pulled the book towards him. "I mean, getting someone else on board to try and fall in love with a stranger? Yeah…might not be the best of plans."

Ryan stiffened, blinking at Henry. "Wait…what?" He couldn't have just said what Ryan thought he heard. "Like…actually fall in love. Me. Kid, have you seen me at all in town? I can barely talk to girls! They're weird, and I never understand what they're trying to tell me. They say one thing, and mean something else…and it's just…ugh. What even makes you think I am some prince in that book anyway?"

"You'll be fine, trust me. I'll be helping you out…kinda like a wingman." Henry smiled, but Ryan was too busy thinking that this kid was way too young to be a wingman. "First, we need to find a single storybook character. There are a few options, some of the more independent ones found happiness all on their own, after all."

"I don't have words for this. A ten year old kid is trying to play matchmaker…for me." Ryan shook his head, grinning at the idea. "Man, I can already imagine what others would say about it."

Pulling the book over towards him, Ryan paused and frowned. It was right in the section with that burning town Henry had shown him, but this was one page earlier. He could see Red Riding Hood, and by her side was someone different. He had dark black hair, kinda like his own, and the same eyes, but there was something a bit different about the way he dressed and how he stood. First of all, he wore a worn-down princely outfit, complete with black slacks and a navy blue button-down shirt decorated with golden stands of string hanging around his shoulders. "Who's this?"

Henry looked at the person Ryan was focused on, frowning for a moment. "Oh right, I forgot about him. He's kinda a weird character…for a while, he isn't even in the book, and then he just randomly pops up at times. Never quite understood what role he had, either." Glancing up towards Ryan, Henry began to smile slightly. "Though…he does look a little bit like you. Do you remember something? Like…talking to Red here, or maybe living in this town?"

He couldn't remember anything like that. However, as Ryan began to pull the book back to move back towards their planning instead, someone else came into the tavern and began making a bit of a spectacle out of the event. "Ah, greetings, fellow people. It has been quite some time since I visited such a fine establishment." He spoke loudly, though there was really only one other table seated other than Henry and Ryan at the moment.

Turning towards them, Ryan frowned. The guy that spoke looked like he was dressed in some kind of pink and white clown suit, complete with a top hat and cape. By his side was a guy that apparently loved hair dye, since his entire head of hair was green. When he began to pick at his nails with a bored expression, Ryan noticed just how long they were; even from where he was sitting he could still make out their shape.

The host moved to begin seating them, but when he was being guided to a table across the tavern, the man shook his head. "No, this will not do. I need a seat over there, by other people. It feels terrible lonely sitting in a dark, isolated corner in a place like this." He was exaggerating, and something in his tone made Ryan doubt this was the case. Regardless, the host began guiding the two towards the table just next to where Ryan and Henry sat.

Leaning closer to Henry, Ryan nudged the kid with a frown. "Who're they?"

Henry's eyes were just as wide. "I don't know. They've never been in town before…but no one ever comes to Storybrooke. The curse doesn't allow it."

"You know of the curse too?" The clown spoke, clapping his hands together with a bright smile. "Marvelous! That makes things much simpler." Henry and Ryan shared a look, uncertain as to what this meant. "My name is Mephisto, and I have come here on a rather important mission from Japan. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find the owner of this fine blade, do you?" From over his shoulder, Mephisto pulled off a red case that had been hanging on his back since he entered. When he uncased the object, Ryan was surprised to see a blue sheath within, clearly a sword.

"You brought a sword into my tavern?" Ryan stood up, glaring down at him. "What kind of a man does something like that? You don't just go walking around armed, waving things like that around like they are toys. Give that to me, you crazy clown." He snatched the sword away from the man, who smiled with mild amusement. Across from him, the green haired man stopped playing with his nails to glance over towards him.

"You really are a lively one. I guess that means the game will be fun, once it actually begins." He glanced towards Mephisto, frowning for a moment. "Are you sure I have to wait, brother? This powerful human you spoke of doesn't appear to be coming after us."

Something seemed a bit more tense about the smile Mephisto gave his brother. "Such an impatient one. Really, Amaimon, if you're going to ruin things this early on in the game, I might as well just tell you to go back home. I'm certain Father would enjoy hearing your reasons for coming to Earth after so much time back home."

Amaimon looked only mildly surprised at his comment. "Of course he would. Father has been looking for this one for ages. He'd be pleased to know that I've found him."

"Wha—aren't you worried about your sword or something? What the hell are you guys even talking about?" Ryan didn't understand. Most people would try and fight back if someone took something from them. These guys were acting like Ryan and Henry had disappeared.

Turning towards him, Mephisto smiled. "Oh, not at all. That sword is rightfully yours, Rin." Rin? Ryan frowned at the name, glaring at the clown.

"The name's Ryan, you bastard! And besides, I don't own any kind of weapons, let alone some medieval piece of crap like this." He was getting irritated with these two rather quickly. They were talking down to him, like he was an idiot or something.

Henry blinked at them, rising to his feet with his book. "Wait, Rin? Are you sure that's who he is?" The imaginative kid was far more concerned about proving his fantasy world real than he was about the two guys wielding weapons in a restaurant.

Nodding, Mephisto smiled and pulled his hat down further. "Of course. I wouldn't have given him the koma sword if I wasn't certain, child." Leaning his head back, Mephisto clasped his hands together in front of him, tempting his arms so that his hands rested just below his chin. "Though, I should warn you. That blade was never meant to be pulled from its sheath. I wouldn't remove it unless you planned on becoming something…a bit less human."

Less human? Was this guy nuts? Ryan glared at him, still keeping the sword tightly gripped by his side. "Listen, you stupid clown. I don't care who you are, or what you think this sword is, but I'm not going to stand around and let you try and tell me what I can and can't do. You think I'm not human? Get in line, I've heard that crap my entire life."

"My my, this one has such a temper." Mephisto glanced out of the corner of his eyes towards Amaimon, who nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. At least I know how to keep myself under control when I'm angry. This one seems to be different. Do you feel it too?" Amaimon was focused on Mephisto, who nodded with a slight smile.

"Feel what? What the hell is wrong with you two?" Ryan was on the verge of telling them to just get out. This was his tavern and he didn't have to take this from strangers.

Rising to his feet, Mephisto focused on Ryan, making Ryan realize that this guy was actually a bit taller than him. "Lesson on etiquette number one, young man. Never raise your voice, especially not when dealing with your clientele." Lessons on manners only made Ryan grit his teeth. This man was about to get a fist in his face, if that was what it took to shut up his arrogant mouth. "Lesson number two, the guest is always right, no matter what he claims. So, if I say that sword is yours, and I am a customer in your fine establishment, then you agree with me…that sword is yours."

"Ryan…you know you can just take it. Think of it like a gift…" Henry tried easing the tension, but it really wasn't helping.

Still, Ryan tried for the kid. He swallowed, taking a deep breath and nodding. "Yeah. A gift. Some creepy, weird sword…exactly what I wanted." Looking down at the blade, he wondered if there was some other reason for this. Still, he didn't want to start a fight in his own restaurant. That wouldn't be good for business.

Offering the case, Mephisto smiled. "Yes, a gift if you like. Just keep my warning in mind! You wouldn't believe what that sword could unleash. See, while this curse may keep your memories at bay…there are some things that even it cannot stop." Again, these strangers seemed to know far too much for people outside of town. Henry's eyes had widened slightly at those words, though.

"Wait…if you know so much about the curse, then you must know how to break it." The clown stopped, glancing down at the kid with raised eyebrows. "Everyone is suffering because of it…they can't get their happy endings back so long as it exists. Please, Ryan and I are trying to break it. You've gotta help us too."

Ryan didn't want to work with these people. In fact, he didn't want to deal with them again at all. "As intriguing as it sounds, I am going to have to pass. People suffer all the time, child, it isn't my business if one town has more suffering than another." That was going too far. He was turning his back on people in help, on Henry. He knew how to help, Ryan could hear it in the arrogant tone of his voice, but he was refusing to do a thing.

"You…you know how to break it." Ryan spoke with his hands shaking by his sides. "But you won't do a thing?"

"Of course not. The only person we're concerned with…is you, little brother." Amaimon spoke, smiling towards Ryan. "But, best of luck with your curse breaking! After all, if you manage to do that before we bring back your memories…well, it just means I get to start having fun a little bit sooner."

He sounded far too pleased with that plan, especially with the way Ryan glared at both of them and charged forward. "Shut up, you selfish jerk!" Ryan had been planning on just hitting them with the hilt of the sword, but his eyes widened as something else happened instead. Somehow, his vision was tinged with blue, and that made him slow down. Amaimon blinked, jumping back and perching himself on a table in a low crouch.

"Amazing…just like Father's." He smiled widely, standing straight after a moment.

"Amaimon, you know what I've said." Mephisto was watching the green haired man with narrowed eyes. "While it is impressive, considering his powers are still sealed, he is not yet ready for your test."

As they spoke, Ryan glanced down at his arms. Covering his skin were blue flames, dancing along his arms and his legs. Somehow, they weren't burning away at him, and they didn't even touch his clothes. "No…I'm not…I'm not a monster."

There wasn't even a slight amount of pity in Mephisto's gaze when he glanced towards Ryan. "Of course you aren't. You, my dear boy, are a demon." With that, the clown grabbed Amaimon and began dragging his brother out of the tavern. They hadn't even ordered a single thing, but Ryan could only think of that man's words before he left. So many people had called him a demon's child before. This time, however, was the first time he even considered that they might be right.

 **Happy Easter everyone! I hope you enjoyed another chapter. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of OUAT or Blue Exorcist

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Tracking down Snow was not one of Yukio's favorite jobs. In fact, he hated being tasked with leading any portion of Regina's army. Still, she saw value in his strategies. As her son, she viewed his loyalty to her as greater than that of others. So, Yukio was often sent to try and track down the renegade princess whenever sightings were reported. Today was no different, though he was having troubles with the idea.

In the forest, his own survival skills were not ideal. He had told Regina constantly that hunting was not his specialty. While he did have some skill with a bow and arrow, he fumbled with swords and close-range weapons. His true skill was in first aid. Most of the time, he would work with the injured soldiers back at the castle. He had always found it calming that he could help those people in some small form, to ease the suffering they had because of their forced service to the queen.

With a bow strapped to his back and the same black armor of the rest of the guards, Yukio wasn't exactly looking like his normal self. He knelt down on the ground, looking for imprints in the dirt to indicate if someone had been in the area recently. Last he heard, Snow had been seen traveling with a companion lately. Some even claimed she had multiple helping her, though Yukio wasn't certain of either fact. Until he saw it with his own eyes, he would not take either case to be true.

For now, searching for footprints was a lead. There were slight indents in the mud, though it looked as if someone had tried to smear over them to avoid detection. Yukio, however, was no average tracker. "Someone was here recently. While the tracks have been covered, there is still a slight difference in depth to this one. I'm not certain if that is meant to lead us in the wrong direction, however, it is our only lead thus far." Rising to his feet, Yukio nodded towards the other soldiers. "This way."

Lately, Regina had been growing more irritated with every sighting of Snow. Yukio had witnessed her slow descent into what she was becoming, and every day, he wondered how to pull her back. She used to be such a sweet woman, but there was now a bitterness in her that Yukio saw no source of. What had pushed her to become so broken? Part of him wanted to ask, but he was afraid of angering her as well. Perhaps he should have listened to Rin and left a few months back. Right now, it was looking like home was becoming more akin to a prison, where he was forced to harm others to avoid angering his adoptive mother.

Right now, part of him hoped Snow was able to outsmart him. He didn't think he'd be able to protect her if he actually tracked her down this time. Lately, when he was sent to track Snow, he wasn't able to find clues towards where she was going. This was the first time he had seen a mistake, a track that could be used to indicate her direction of travel. Part of him wondered if it was because of her companion that he had heard rumors of, but he still had no confirmation of this companion.

Wind blew through the trees, making a few of the leaves fall. They had just started changing colors, so there was still a lot of green in the branches above them. The soldiers were trained well and ignored them, marching onward through the trees and shoving aside any branches that got in their way. Yukio was just as efficient, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. Once he was back home, he could return to reading in peace and hopefully avoid more of this blood feud between his mother and sister.

He held his hand up, gesturing for the other soldiers to slow as he heard a faint cracking sound. It was a twig snapping, likely nearby. Leaving them to wait for his return, Yukio rounded the tree in front of him and slowly approached the noise. Pulling out his bow, he began to knock back an arrow, just to be safe. There was no telling what kind of rebels were out here, after all. He had been attacked for simply being a member of Regina's family in the past, so it wouldn't surprise him if it happened again.

Standing underneath the trees, Yukio saw her. Snow was carrying a bundle of wood in her arms, placing it on the ground likely to fuel a fire. "Did we have any luck with the traps this morning?" She was talking to someone. Yukio stayed hidden where he was for now, grimacing slightly. He needed to warn her, without alerting the others to his actions.

"Hell yeah we did! You get a fire going, and I'll be sure to cook this up real nice for you." The responding voice made Yukio's eyes widen. It couldn't be him. Rin wouldn't have been stupid enough to team up with Snow, not with how Regina had been acting lately.

He heard the sound of shuffling amongst the leaves, likely indicating Snow was starting that fire for him. "So…I heard you went to visit Red the other day." There was an almost teasing tone to her voice, making Yukio frown.

His brother sputtered, making Yukio smile. "Who told you that? It was those dwarves, wasn't it? They're always ratting me out." He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away.

"Actually, Red mentioned it to me." That seemed to silence Rin rather quickly. "She seems rather fond of you. To be honest, I haven't heard her talk about anyone like that since…well, since Peter."

The names meant little to Yukio, but as he glanced over towards them again, he saw the slump of his brother's shoulders at the mention of that name. "Right. I figured that was what this was about." Rin seemed to focus on Snow with narrowed eyes. "Worried that I'm going to turn on her or something? Or do you think your other friend is a monster too?"

Too? Yukio had no idea what Rin was speaking about. "Rin! I thought I explained this to you. It was an instinct…you saw those flames. Tell me you wouldn't be suspicious if you knew there was a single constant between that and a past event. Tell me you wouldn't have the slightest bit of doubt…if you had seen flames like that around me, or even Yukio, before seeing them there with one of us present as well."

Yukio's brother snorted, shaking his head. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about this, alright? Just…forget I brought it up." Rin seemed to grow silent, not even bothering to counter her. However, Yukio wished they kept going. What fire? What had Snow done to make Rin so upset? From what he knew of his brother, it could have been any number of things.

Before Yukio could listen in further, someone else approached his position. Another member of the squad he was leading nodded to him, grinning as he glanced towards Snow. "Looks like we've got her this time. The queen will reward us for this one, eh, Yukio? Let's just hope your princely attitude doesn't ruin it for us."

"I am not princely." Yukio frowned at the term, sighing and moving to stand by his side. The chance to warn them was gone. Now, he could just hope that Snow and Rin were faster. "Get in position. We need to be ready to move at a moment's notice."

"Like we need that much! She's weak right now, distracted by her little lover boy over there." The image produced made Yukio scowl. Snow was raised as their sister; it wasn't exactly pleasant to think of his brother viewing her in a romantic light. "I'll go in with my blade. You cover with your bow."

Before Yukio could try and argue, he took off running towards their camp. Rin stiffened first, jumping to his feet and spinning around. "Rin? What…" Snow broke off, her eyes widening at the approaching knight. She took a few steps backwards, before turning around and starting to run. Following not long after, Rin joined in her escape.

With focused eyes, Yukio lifted his bow. He couldn't let the others think he wanted to help their escape. So, he took aim. The arrow was aligned directly with the air above his brother's head. As he released the string, he watched his arrow fly past Rin, imbedding itself in a tree trunk with a faint thunk. Rin saw the arrow, his eyes widening as he glanced over his shoulder. When his blue eyes widened slightly, Yukio realized his mistake. His brother's pace slowed slightly, his movements faltering.

The other knight grinned at the sight, catching him immediately and throwing him back on the ground. "Nice shooting, Prince. It looks like we've caught ourselves a traitor…imagine that, the great Rin finally found helping the criminal Snow White."

Walking closer, Yukio glanced upward towards the retreating figure of his sister. He saw her head turn, her smile vanishing at the sight of Rin on the ground. With his hand clenched tightly on his bow, Yukio shook his head slightly at her. She needed to run, to forget about Rin. At least then, one of them would be safe. "Yukio…damn it…what the hell are you doing?"

"Orders from the queen." Yukio stood over him, pushing his glasses up onto his face. "Anyone caught aiding the criminal known as Snow White is to be arrested for crimes against the kingdom. I'm sorry, little brother…but there is nothing I can do." He hated speaking to Rin like this. They were brothers, and he wanted to be more open. However, the situation didn't allow for that.

More soldiers came into the area, seeing Rin pinned to the ground by the swordsman's boot. "Damn it, Yukio. You're better than this! Get them the hell off of me!" He tried shouting, but Yukio turned his head away and stepped back. "Yukio! Look at me. Please…don't just stand there…" There were empty pleas in his voice, transforming from anger to desperation quickly. The others hauled Rin to his feet, guards surrounding him and holding him captive. "No…I really am alone. Can you believe Snow did it too? Called me a demon? Well, maybe not exactly…but you…you are my brother by blood. We've always had each other's backs. Yukio…don't abandon me too."

"I'm sorry, Rin. I told you not to run. It never ends well." Yukio was surprised he found the ability to keep his voice steady. Rin was dragged away from him, leaving Yukio staring out amongst the trees distantly. He heard his brother's continued shouts fade away, but he was trying to ignore Rin's voice. After all, he wasn't abandoning his brother at all. This was simply a set-back, one that he would begin correcting immediately.

Turning his gaze around the trees, Yukio narrowed his eyes. "I may not be able to see you, but I know you are still watching. You would never abandon an ally, after all. You are too kind hearted to just run away." Knowing he had Snow's attention, Yukio continued speaking, standing still and gazing up at the sky. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, and honestly, I don't really care. However, Rin isn't going to be able to get out of this on his own. Regina found the sword, Snow. She's seen the binding spell on the blade…and the note stored inside the case. Whatever is sealed inside, she knows it relates to Rin. She knows he's dangerous…and she will make sure he never escapes her grasp. Find allies, anyone who might be able to help…I'll continue working from the inside. Together, we just might find a way to outsmart her and save our brother."

The only answer to his call was another gust of wind, scattering a few stray leaves on the ground. Nodding into the air, Yukio turned around and began to rejoin the men. He had to get back to the castle, before Regina began to suspect him further. However, as he kept his head lowered and avoided the gazes of the other officers, Yukio couldn't help but hear the pleading shouts of his brother once again. He hoped this wasn't going to break him. After all, Rin already was so alone in the world. Soon, he'd find a way to get him a message to explain everything. First, he had to determine just how to stop this feud between Regina and Snow. That would have to start by determining exactly what had happened between them in the first place, something which likely meant a visit to the one person who would still speak to him rationally about the two woman he lived with. Hopefully, his grandfather would know what Snow had done to anger Regina so much, because otherwise, he would be back to square on on determining how to end this nightmare and save his brother.

( _Today in Storybrooke)_

In her office, the mayor of Storybrooke had been looking over some paperwork when the call came in. Every time some emergency happened in town, two calls were always made. One alerted the sheriff's office, putting Graham on the move to stop whatever minor emergency was going on. The other came directly to Regina, something she personally requested. After her son's escapades and with that Swan woman in town, she had to be careful. However, this wasn't the kind of emergency she had been hoping for when she picked up the phone with a smile. She had hoped it was something of Emma's doing, something she could use to get that woman away from her son. However, this was worse.

There was a fire, at one of Henry's favorite restaurants. Glancing at the time, Regina knew he was supposed to be in school, but she couldn't deny the sinking feeling in her stomach. Really, it wasn't even her job to investigate, however this still was more concerning than others realized. That place was owned by Ryan Oakson, AKA Rin Okumura. After finding that sword in her castle, she had always been wary of that boy. Something needing such a powerful seal from the fairies was worrisome enough. Reading the note with the blade, telling her that it was never to be opened, was even more alarming. That meant even a powerful seal like the one placed on it was unable to hold up for long.

While she didn't exactly know the entirety of the event surrounding the sword, she had seen mention of Rin's name in the note as well. Fear of the unknown and worry over his power had lead to her harsh imprisonment of him when he returned. So, hearing about a fire in the dingy little tavern he had in town was enough to make her question its origins. Magic didn't exist in this world, though. Therefore, it was likely a grease fire, or some accident in the kitchen, causing the issue. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to check on the sword before investigating. Last she knew, it was safely kept inside of Gold's Pawnshop, out of reach from anyone who might wish to unsheathe the blade.

With a determined pace, Regina began heading that direction immediately after the call. Between Evan and Graham, the fire itself would be handled quickly and without incident. So, Gold was going to be hers to deal with. Likely, they wouldn't even think to check out what the pawn broker was up to. Regina was the only one that knew he always had a hand involved in everything that went on. It seemed like even in Storybrooke, he was somehow managing to intervene as well. Whatever was going on with Miss Swan, Gold seemed pleased about it. He knew something, but due to their agreement before she cast the curse, she couldn't even force him to tell her the truth. Somehow, he managed to force her to actually do as he said, once he uttered the word please.

Inside of his pawn shop, Regina began walking passed the shelves as Gold was not up front to find immediately. Displays showed items that would have brought back memories to many residents here, if they could remember them at least. She could see the mobile from Snow's castle the day she invaded, from when she had been preparing for a baby. Puppet variations of Pinnochio's parents were available for sale, sitting next to some wooden carvings he made with his best friend. Another display held fairy wands, though in this realm, they had no power. However, as Regina's fingers brushed against a glass case with a large empty gap, she began to frown.

Seeing her inside, Gold moved out from the back room and into the main floor. "Ah, Regina. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just stopping by. I heard a rather interesting story, and thought you might know a thing or two about it." She smiled at the man, knowing the games he liked to play. This was just another form of them, these little word games where they both pretended to be ignorant of who each other really was.

Moving to stand across from her behind the display, Gold sighed. "Heard about my little theft, did you?" She hadn't, but she wasn't going to tell him to stop talking about it. "Worry not, Madam Mayor, it is already being addressed. Your finest police men are on the case."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Regina raised an eyebrow. "Well, as much as I love hearing about your personal issues, I'm actually here because I heard there was a fire in town. Thought you might know a thing or two about it, and this…well, I'd almost say you did it after finding your little thief."

"Fire?" Gold chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Now, why would I go and do something like that? I am a simple business man, caring for my wares. Just ask Mr. Oakson, I reported my theft in a timely manner and have been leaving the task to the law to deal with."

At the very least, Regina knew what she wanted to know from coming here. Shaking her head, she began turning around. "I don't have time for this. Remind me next time I think about stopping by for a visit that there really isn't anything you can do to help me." When she neared the door, she spoke under her breath, thinking that Gold could not hear her. "Not anymore, at least."

"Well, have a nice day, dearie. Do stop by again." He spoke with a smile, but Regina was already gone. Right now, she needed to see what was going on with that fire. If Gold had her officers on some wild hunt for a sword, the sword she had been looking for no less, then the fire was being left alone.

The drive from Gold's to the Devil's Tavern was short. However, she frowned when she parked her car on the street just outside the doors. There was no smoke, nor could she see any hints of flames on the outside. People had cleared away, though. Her car was one of two on the street, making her wonder just who had put the fire out so quickly. Getting out, she frowned and straightened her gray jacket, making sure she was presentable for her job. After all, she had a hunch she was about to arrest a thief here as well. There really wasn't anyone else who would feel any connection to that sword, after all.

Opening the door, Regina held her head high and began gazing around the empty dining room. "We're not open!" A voice shouted out towards her, sounding a bit shaky. "Sorry…but yeah, it's kinda a mess in here. Probably won't be open tomorrow either. This is gonna be such a pain, cleaning up all of this…" The voice trailed off, though Regina still didn't see where it was coming from. However, she could see what he meant. In the middle of the dining room, the wooden floor was charred. Black ash seemed to create rings on the surface, and the nearby tables had clearly suffered as well. Parts of their legs or surfaces were burnt away, some of them unable to stand straight anymore.

"I received a call about a fire. I came to investigate." With her gaze moving away from the damage, Regina finally spotted someone coming out from the back room, with a broom in hand. Following behind him, however, was someone that did not belong here. "Henry! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Ryan grinned. "Yeah…sorry about that, Ms. Mills…Henry wanted to stop by and ask me a question. Then the fire happened…and he offered to stay and help out. He's a real nice kid, you know?"

That was the least of her concerns right now. Her gaze was lingering on him right now, seeing the red bag strapped around his back. It was the right shape and size, not to mention she recalled the sword being inside that case along with the note when she first found it. "Since when do you investigate fires anyway? Isn't that Sheriff Graham's job?" Henry tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I came because he is busy. Someone broke into Gold's pawnshop as well…and it looks like this fire served as a convenient distraction for the culprit." She narrowed her eyes at Ryan, watching the restaurant owner roll his eyes.

"Whatever. People steal things all the time, it's not our problem. Besides, if you're here, that mean's Evan isn't coming, right?"

"Ryan, avoiding your brother isn't exactly good for Operation Cobra. Don't you realize that he could be your happy ending too?"

That made Ryan blink at him with a frown. "Wait…what? You're not…Henry, that's just gross! He's my family, not some prince charming." He scowled, wrinkling his nose while shaking his head. "I think I'd rather take the wolf."

Lost to the true subject of their ramblings, Regina cleared her throat. Both of them looked mildly embarrassed, but Ryan's only response was to begin working on sweeping away the charred floor. "I didn't mean it like that…all I'm saying is that you might just want to consider at least being friends with the guy. He isn't that bad, even if he is a little strict sometimes."

Henry's comment only made Ryan shrug, his gaze focused on the ground. "Maybe. Either way, I think I've got more problems than just that, kid. Starting with a clown and his green-haired friend."

"Could both of you just focus for a moment?" Regina interrupted before they could continue their pointless ramblings further. "We're looking at a fire, in the middle of your dining room. Did someone drop a lighter, bring in a candle…?" She tried hinting, hoping for some sign of cause.

Ryan glanced towards Henry, an odd look in his blue eyes. After a moment, the restaurant owner simply shrugged. "Dunno. Could have been any number of things. Guess that's what happens when you're a bit careless and unobservant about what's going on in your own restaurant, huh?" He gave a nervous laugh, but Regina wasn't buying a moment of it.

The door burst open behind her, though Regina didn't even turn her head. "Ryan! I heard there was a fire. What on earth have you been doing in here?" Evan was speaking, his concern layered underneath the accusation implied b his tone.

When Ryan glanced up, Regina couldn't help but smile. This was one of her best pieces of work. Granted, Yukio had been loyal to her, but so long as he didn't remember, keeping them apart wasn't hurting him at all. However, for someone as isolated and temperamental as Rin, losing his only family would push him over the edge. For an ally of Snow White's, it was the best form of torture. "The mayor's already here, so you can just get out."

"No offense, but Mayor Mills isn't informed of the proper protocols for investigating a fire of this nature. Do you have reason to believe someone intentionally caused this?"

Snorting, Ryan stopped his work and leaned against one of the tables. "Of course not! I'm not the one pissing people off with an arrogant attitude, four-eyes."

Taking it in stride, Evan simply nodded. "Very well. Then what type of accident could have occurred to do this? Based on the area, it looks like the fire was contained, centrally located at this particular spot on the ground." Evan was kneeling on the ground, gesturing to the spot that was almost completely blackened from the flames. "A few stray flames hit the tables and chairs, but oddly, it doesn't seem to have spread. Typically, this indicates a prank usually done by younger children, a fast reaction that can be stopped quite quickly."

"It wasn't a prank, Evan! As I told your boss, I don't know what happened, so stop bugging me about it." He scowled in irritation, glancing towards Henry. "See what you're telling me to work with? How can anyone tolerate a guy that doesn't listen?"

Sighing, Evan rose to his feet and shook his head. "I am just doing my job, Ryan. Really, if you just cooperate, it will ensure that I can leave that much quicker." There was a slight downturn in his mouth at that, making Regina pause.

"Is something wrong, Officer Oakson?"

She really did worry over him. Much like Henry, she still viewed Yukio as her son. Albeit, the curse changed a few things, but she still looked out for him however she could. "Nothing of importance. There is just a bit of stress coming from another case, that is all." Likely the theft, then. Gold had probably intimidated the whole department when reporting the loss of his inventory. She hoped Graham wasn't too scared to take a break. She needed to unwind somehow, and he was a great distraction.

For a moment, Ryan's anger seemed to fade. "The theft? You're working that one too?"

Nodding, Evan smiled towards his brother. "I am, though it isn't something I can talk about at the moment." His smile began to fade, his eyes narrowing after a moment. "Hold on a second…Ryan, what is that on your back?"

Touching the red case, Ryan blinked for a moment. "This?" Evan nodded, while Ryan looked away. "Nothing. Some creepy clown guy brought it to me just before the fire. Haven't figured out what to do with it yet."

"Keep it, obviously." Henry paused for a moment, tilting his head. "And whatever you do, don't open it. I don't know who those guys were, but I think they were onto something with that theory of theirs."

Ryan nodded, but he didn't really add much to it. Meanwhile, Regina was catching on to what Henry was hinting at. There were strangers in town. It shouldn't be possible. After what happened with that kid so many years ago, she had made sure no one else could enter Storybrooke. She didn't want strangers in town, so she designed her curse to keep them out. However, she didn't have the chance to ask about it as Evan was already moving closer to his brother.

"It's a sword, isn't it?" Evan pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I don't know why I expected otherwise. Why would you do something like this, Ryan?"

"Do what?" Ryan frowned, glancing around the room. "You aren't seriously trying to accuse me of something here, are you? My restaurant just got set on fire! Now's not the time to be doing this with me."

Yet, Regina had a sinking feeling it was. No one got away with stealing from Gold, even if the property was rightfully theirs. Seeing that sword brought back memories of her own as well. Back home, she had found that blade locked away in one of the former king's castles. She had seen the seal on it, which now seemed to have fallen off. "Both of you, just calm down and we can figure out what is really going on." Regina stepped forward, smiling and looking towards Evan. "Now, what is really so wrong about him having a sword?"

"Because I know Ryan doesn't own one, and Mr. Gold is claiming that a sword is exactly what was taken from his shop.

Looking up, Ryan stepped forward and glared at him. "Oh yeah? Well, joke's on you because I didn't actually take this sword. Some creepy clown gave it to me, so back off."

"That isn't how things work, Ryan." Evan sighed, while Regina frowned. She couldn't exactly stop this, and thinking about it, she didn't want to. That sword should remain locked up somewhere, and no place was more secure than with Gold. "Now, please at least cooperate and return the sword to me so we can identify if it actually is the one belonging to Mr. Gold."

Grumbling under his breath, Ryan pulled it off over his head and held it towards his brother. "Evan…you won't really arrest your brother, will you?" Henry looked at him, almost pleading with his gaze. "We're so close, Evan. I can't lose him now!"

"I'm sorry, but that is how the law works, Henry." Evan looked over, meeting Ryan's eyes. After a moment, the black haired boy shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding Evan's gaze and moving towards the door.

"Whatever. This is exactly why I hate seeing you around, Evan. You always see the worst in me…and things always end in disaster when you come." Looking towards Henry, he paused for a moment and gave the child a small smile. "Thanks for trying, Henry. Unlike some people I know, you actually are a pretty good friend. Good luck with Operation Cobra, I'll see if I can manage anything from inside a jail cell."

Looking dejected, Henry nodded and watched them leave. Regina moved to stand by his side, stroking his hair gently and pressing him against her. "It will be okay, Henry. This isn't forever. You will see Ryan again soon." She gave her son a smile, squeezing his shoulder as the boy continued to frown at the door. "Now, why don't we go home and make ourselves some delicious cookies? I know you aren't all that fond of my apple desserts, but I think today you deserve a bit of something sweet to cheer you up after all this." Henry slowly nodded, silently moving to follow her. Keeping his hand in her own, Regina smiled proudly at her accomplishment. Ryan was now out of the way, and the danger was averted. All that was left was to get rid of Miss Swan and nothing would be standing in the way of keeping her son by her side where he belonged.

 **A bit of brotherly conflict is now arising! I do hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

( _A few years ago, in Storybrooke)_

It started as an ordinary day in Granny's Diner. Ruby was serving tables like usual while her grandmother focused on cooking orders. Like usual, Ruby got annoyed fairly quickly with the customers inside. Everyone was always so picky, requesting their orders a certain way. However, after being here for so long, she learned their preferences. Henry always requested cinnamon on his hot chocolate, and the mayor was known for getting little beyond a cup of black coffee and the occasional piece of apple pie. Once she had the hang of what everyone enjoyed, the job became easier and more enjoyable. She got to talk to the other people in town, and when she got her break, she usually tried to go outside for some fresh air and to try and find Billy to see what he had been up to with his car shop.

Still, it was always at the end of the night that Ruby hated. At that time, most of the guests were gone, but there was always this one man that came in last second. Ruby never knew his name, nor did Granny, but he was likely about thirty years old, if his looks were anything to judge by. He had dark hair, and he always seemed to stink like fish when he walked inside. That distinctive odor was what always alerted Ruby to him coming in, but she couldn't complain about a regular customer to their face. No, what was really irritating about this man was his attitude.

"Hey, hot stuff." His customary greeting was always given with a toothy grin, like he thought he was clever for flirting with a girl that was probably a decade younger than him.

Ruby was used to it, responding with a smile and a slight eye roll. "Welcome back to Granny's. What can I get for you today?" Unlike a few of the other regulars, this guest that she had taken to thinking of as Fishman always changed up his order, forcing her to talk with him for longer than she would have liked.

He eyed her closely, leaning uncomfortable towards her and making Ruby shift her weight so her hips were further away from the man. "Well, I think I see one fine item in this establishment that I'd like to take to go. Would you be interested in something like that, sugar?"

Pursing her lips, Ruby tossed her hair over her head. "Sorry, but we are a diner and our employees aren't on the menu." She had to be polite, no matter what he said. Those were the rules Granny gave them.

He paused again, giving Ruby a chance to take a deep breath and glance around. This time, the diner actually wasn't completely empty. Ryan was here, the owner for the tavern just down the street. Ruby had never been there, but she had heard a lot about Ryan from his brother. He was supposedly hot-headed and had a bit of a temper, but he had actually seemed kinda sweet when she took his order. In fact, he had looked upset about something, but she knew better than to push for details here. She wasn't his friend, and she only knew him from rumors alone. Still, she couldn't deny that she had always found him a bit hot when she spotted him walking down the streets. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be since they were competitors in the same business. It would look bad for her to favor his tavern over Granny's, just as it looked bad for him to be eating here, yet he still seemed to stop by about once a month for something different.

Having him here at least made it more comfortable to deal with Fishman today. When the diner was empty, Ruby was half-tempted to start a fight with the guy for his comments. "Well, that's a damn shame. I bet you taste sweeter than the desserts—"

"Didn't you hear her already?" Ryan startled her, turning around from the booth he was sitting at just next to them. "She said to pick something off of the menu and just order, so stop bothering her and move on."

Fishman didn't seem to like that, narrowing his eyes at Ryan. "And who are you? Last I heard, this lass didn't have a boyfriend, so you're probably nothing to her."

Ruby was single, but that didn't mean she wasn't glad to have someone trying to help her out. "Boy-boyfriend? What the hell makes you think that? I just saw you bothering someone who wants to be left alone, and I thought I'd help put a stop to it since she's working and can't tell you to fuck off herself."

"And you think you can talk to me like that? I hate to break it to you, but this waitress is known as the town slut. She'll sleep with anyone anytime—"

"I said knock it off!" This time, Ryan rose to his feet and seemed to lose his patience. For the first time, Ruby got to see exactly what Evan meant when he said his brother had a temper. However, it wasn't what she expected him to get angry over. He charged over to the table, shoving Ruby aside so he could punch Fishman in the face. The other customer seemed to reel from the hit, his hand reflexively darting to his jaw to rub the wound. "Words like that hurt people, alright? I'm not going to stand around and let you call her names like that."

"Now…now I recognize you. Yer that demon boy…the one always picking fights and sending people to the hospital because you're even less than human. Everyone says you are the devil's child, that you should just—"

"I said shut up!" Another hit came, making Ruby flinch and step back. By now, Granny had heard and was coming up to the front counter, her eyes widening at the scene growing inside of the diner. "I'm not a demon! I'm sick and tired of everyone saying that, so just shut up about it!" More punches, and with them, Ruby began to see blood. Ryan's back blocked her from seeing completely what state Fishman was in, but she had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Stop it, both of you!" Granny came over, grabbing Ryan and pulling him back. The boy looked dazed, turning around and blinking at her in surprise. "I don't know what he said, and frankly, I don't care. I've already called the police, and if you two don't want to make this an even bigger mess than it already is, I suggest you take a moment and calm down. If you plan on fighting still, then take it outside and stop scaring away the rest of our customers."

Looking around, Ryan seemed to pale slightly. "You…you called Evan?" His head hung after Granny nodded, looking defeated despite not being hit once in his little fight with their customer. "I'm sorry. Really, I wasn't planning on fighting…but I was just so upset today. See, I tried making some new friends, talking to that Ashley girl nearby…but then Thomas came over, claiming I was being rude…and we started getting into a fight, and he called me…" Ryan broke off, running a hand through his hair. "Never mind, I guess it doesn't really matter. Sorry for attacking your customers. I just couldn't sit around and do nothing when a guy was treating someone like that."

Staring at him, Ruby was stunned. Few men tried to defend her, agreeing with Fishman's opinion of her simply because of how she dressed. Ruby liked her body, and she did like to show it off, but that didn't mean she wanted to sleep with every guy she met. No, she had a mild interest in Billy because he was one of her only friends in town, and if she was simply thinking in terms of attraction, both Ryan and Evan were rather hot, not that she'd ever admit it to either of them. However, Evan was too cold and distant for her tastes, and this was her first time ever really interacting with Ryan.

Granny seemed to accept his words with a nod, returning to her work while Fishman simply groaned where he was now lying down in the booth. Ryan looked uncomfortable, his cheeks faintly pink as he turned away from Ruby. "So…you alright? I mean, I did kinda butt in where I wasn't wanted again…"

Smiling, Ruby touched his arm and shook her head. "It's fine. Thank you." Ryan blinked, turning towards her with wide eyes. "I can't say I've ever had anyone stand up for me like that. It's a shame that Ashley and Thomas wouldn't let you just be yourself around them…because I think you'd be a great friend, Ryan." Ruby held out her hand, offering it to him. "My name's Ruby. I've heard a bit about you from your brother, but I don't like putting much stock in rumors."

He took her hand, shaking it and chuckling slightly. "Yeah, that four-eyed mole-face probably gave you a bunch of crap about me being a violent thug who can't accomplish anything." It wasn't too far off, so Ruby simply smiled. "I'm glad I could help…at least this time, it seems like I helped someone."

Once again, Ruby realized that he actually seemed rather vulnerable in a way. He was strong in a fight, and he had a hot temper, but there was a soft side to him that only wanted to help. So, Ruby realized that maybe there was more of a chance for something between them than she realized. Sure, Ryan never came in and she never spoke to him, but after all the trouble he went through for her, she never forgot him. One day, she promised to repay this debt to him, no matter how long it took or when it happened. Maybe that way, she could get to know him better and finally shake off the labels placed on her by this town by finding the one guy she was always meant to be with.

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

Being led by his own brother to prison was an odd feeling. Ryan wanted to be pissed, just like he had been the last time something like this went down. It was all because of Evan's stupid job. Why did he have to go and decide to be a cop? Really, Ryan would have preferred it if he had been a doctor or even some creepy therapist like Archie. So long as it didn't put them at odds, it was a better job for Evan in his mind.

"I'm going to have to ask you to hand over that sword." Evan spoke calmly, his voice even and controlled. How could he manage that, when talking to his own brother?"

Glaring at him, Ryan reached behind his back, hesitating for a moment. That weird clown had said it was connected to him somehow. With the weird blue fire popping up all around him, Ryan was starting to actually believe in something like that. Sure, Henry's stories were one thing, but actual magic? He had assumed it didn't exist here, mainly because Henry said it didn't. Now, he was thinking the boy was wrong.

Looking over at his brother, Ryan dropped his hand and shoved it into his pocket. "Yeah…sorry, but I don't think I will."

Now in the actual sheriff's office, Evan paused and turned towards him. "Ryan! We agreed on this. You would cooperate, and I would do everything in my power to make sure you don't end up in prison. After all, if you did not steal the sword yourself, you cannot be blamed for ending up as the one in possession of it."

Shrugging, Ryan walked past him and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you're right. But that still doesn't mean something weird isn't going on." He hesitated for a moment, remembering the way Evan had reacted during their last phone call. Could he try bringing it up again? Right now, he just needed someone to talk to about this. Henry would have been a great option, but of course his mother had to force him away right when Ryan needed him most. "Look…I get that you're busy and have stuff going on, but there's—"

Ryan broke off as the door opened and closed, revealing a group of people walking inside. "I'm sorry, but I just can't handle a job like this." A girl with dark brown hair, dyed red at the ends, walked in and began rushing towards one of the desks. Ruby was an odd sight to find here of all places, and it made Ryan frown. Since when was she here and not at Granny's? Her gaze looked towards him, blinking in surprise. "Oh my gosh, how did I not think of this before? Ryan, you own the Devil's Tavern, right?"

"He does, but at the moment—"

Ruby did not let Evan finish. "Then you could get me a job just like my old one, but away from Granny! That'll prove to her that I can make it on my own for once."

She seemed to be excited, rushing over to him with an odd light in her eyes. Behind her, the other two members of the police forced looked uncomfortable watching this take place. Emma and Graham stayed close together, watching her as she stopped gathering her things in favor of speaking with Ruby. "Uh…yeah I guess I could do something like that." She had experience, after all, and he really could use the help on a few of the morning shifts. "What has you looking to get away from her in the first place?"

"Ryan, aren't you forgetting something?" Evan looked like he was ready to explode, his eyes closed tightly and leaning onto the desk as if he was using that pressure to stop himself from punching the nearest person to him. Looking towards his brother, Ryan bit his lip and turned to stare at the ground after a moment.

"Oh yeah. That."

"Ruby, I am sorry to inform you that my brother is not here on a friendly visit. He is suspected of being in possession of stolen goods, and at the moment, he is refusing to cooperate and hand the object in question over for further inspection."

Looking towards him, Ruby blinked in surprise. "Stolen? But Ryan wouldn't do something like that!" Evan blinked at her in surprise while Ryan's head shot up towards her. She couldn't seriously believe that strongly in him, right? Ryan couldn't remember speaking much with Ruby beyond the customary greeting when he stopped by Granny's on the rare occasion for a meal. "I've known him for a while now, Evan. Maybe you've got a stick up your butt, and maybe he can be a bit hot headed, but Ryan does things for the right reasons. Don't you remember the last time you had to pick him up for assault at Granny's?"

Looking away, Ryan sighed. Of course she was using one of his fights to defend him, the worst thing she could do in Evan's mind. "Yes, and he nearly sent your other customer to the hospital."

"That fight began because some customers don't know the difference between flirting and sexual harassment, Evan. Ryan was just trying to help." She looked over at Ryan, smiling for a moment and nodding. "He's got a good heart and I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt others. Whatever is going on with this…I know he didn't steal anything from anyone. It has to be a misunderstanding."

"Regardless of his reasons, there were other options available beyond just fighting! Violence never solves anything, Ruby." Evan sighed, shaking his head. "Most people understand that, but Ryan…" He broke off, glancing towards his brother and not finishing his comment.

Scowling, Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, still leaving the sword wrapped around his back. "Is that what really has you so worried about all this? Trust me, I have no intention of starting a fight with a freaking sword, Evan. I'm not a moron, alright?"

"I know that. Idiot, yes, but you certainly aren't a moron."

"Hey!" He glared at his brother, still infuriated that he found a way to insult him anyway. "Knock that off, Evan. Stop with the whole 'I'm better than you' crap and just try listening for once."

"I did. You stated that you were not a moron, and I agreed, did I not?"

"I wonder what exactly it is we just walked into." Emma seemed to stare between them, shaking her head. "Look, both of you are being idiots. Evan, stop taking everything Ryan says so personally. At the moment, this is our job so we need to talk to him like a suspect, not family." Looking towards Ryan, she narrowed her eyes. "And you…I want you to tell me truthfully what happened. Did you steal…whatever it is Evan thinks you stole?"

"No! Goddamn it, how many times do I have to say that that creepy clown I've never met before gave it to me as an even creepier gift?"

"Clown?" Evan frowned at him, pressing his glasses further up his nose. "Ryan…there is no reason for a clown to take a weapon."

"Though, I can look into it, I suppose. I wasn't aware that we had any clowns in town, though…" Graham tried to offer some assistance, looking uncomfortable getting in the middle of the family debate.

However, Emma seemed to have no such issues. "I need a description of this clown, got it? Hair color, eye color, height…anything you can give me would be best."

"Well…he was weird. He had this suit…it was white and pink, with a cape. He kinda looked like some storybook character or something…not to mention his weird friend had green hair…it kinda looked like broccoli, actually…" Ryan trailed off, seeing her frowning in confusion and glancing towards the others.

"Know anyone that meets that description? I'll admit, it sounds farfetched to me, but this kid isn't lying."

She was raising her eyebrows, as if the answer to her question was obvious. "It sounds like the same pair Mr. Gold described as being his own suspects for this robbery." Evan sighed, folding his hands together on the desk. "Regardless, I need to confirm that the sword is actually what was given to you, Ryan. Please, would you let me take that blade and just do my job?"

Looking towards the window, Ryan frowned. If something went wrong, they would all see just how much of a freak he was. _I wouldn't remove it unless you planned on becoming something a bit less than human._ What was he? He couldn't really be a demon, right? Yet, the fear he was feeling seemed to contradict that very thought. If he was confident in being just a normal guy, he'd give it over without hesitation.

Scowling at himself, Ryan pulled it off of his back and slammed it on the desk. "Fine. I'm going to wait outside, since you clearly don't really care about what I have to say about this anyway." Plus, he probably wasn't allowed to leave. Either way, the dread in his stomach was not fading away and he didn't want to be in here when Evan studied the weapon.

As he walked outside, Evan began to pull the outer bag off of the blade, revealing the dark blue sheath and handle within. Ryan walked outside, peering in through one of the windows to watch as he worked at the desk. Evan proceeded to examine the outside, studying it from odd angles. However, Ruby wasn't there. Why wasn't she there? "Hey." Suddenly, a voice made him jump, leaping back and turning to see that very girl smiling at him. "So…I'm really sorry to get in the middle of your fight with your brother. I probably shouldn't have stuck my nose in where it didn't belong…but I just don't like it when people talk bad about others for no reason."

"It's cool, I don't mind." Ryan paused for a moment, glancing towards her. "And thank you. For what you said, that is."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Not a problem. You may be a competitor in the business, or well, a former competitor, but that didn't mean I had any reason to hate you. Really, Evan shouldn't either…but it looks like he's too stubborn to see that."

But it was his own fault. Ryan knew it was his own fault for not forgiving Evan sooner. Why did everyone try to blame someone else for his own issues? Glancing back towards the window, he saw Evan moving his hands towards where the sheath was clasped onto the sword. "I was the one who held a grudge for years, not him. If anyone is to blame for the distance between us…it'd be me." Normally, he wouldn't admit that out loud. Not even Henry had heard him say much about Evan beyond insults, but something about Ruby was different. He had always admired the girl, but that didn't make him any different than most of the guys in town. She always dressed in a way to show off her curves and skin, but Ryan had seen an odd kindness in her when she spoke. She fought for what she believed in and wasn't afraid to speak her mind, but unlike him, she knew when to stop and back off.

"Well, hang in there then, alright? Family can be tough…and while I'm not really one to speak considering the fact that I've kinda run away from home…if you want to try and repair what was broken, just start by talking to him again."

Nodding, Ryan wondered if it would even start to fix anything. Evan was almost a stranger to him now. Hell, he felt like he knew more about Emma than him, and he'd only spoken to the blond once. Still, it was about time to change that. As Evan pulled the blade out to inspect the actual weapon for damage, Ryan's thoughts suddenly went blank. Something felt wrong, very wrong, making him reach up and press a hand to his chest. In an instant, something surged within him, something hot and unnatural that made him fall to his knees and gasp. "Ruby, get away from me!" The startled girl jumped back, holding a hand out towards him with wide eyes.

"Ryan…what—" She broke off, letting out a startled yelp as blue flames erupted from Ryan's entire body. He gasped, holding his arms tightly around himself. Inside the sheriff's office, the same flames were seen surrounding the actual sword, making Evan quickly sheath it once more. However, even as the flames died away, Ryan could feel that something was off about himself. The air smelled sharper, almost as if he could detect layers of scents within the space around him. His hearing was different, making small noises seem louder than ever before. Plus, there was that weird black thing curling around his side, making him blink and scurry back at the sight. His hand pressed onto it, sending a sharp spike of pain through his rear end and up his spine. Was that a part of him? He didn't…have a tail, right?

Ruby was staring at him in shock. However, Ryan had no explanation. Looking at her, he realized that there really was nothing to say. After all, he still had no clue what was going on with him. What the hell had just happened when Evan unsheathed that sword? "Ryan…um…are you okay…now?"

Her voice was hesitant, watching him from a distance. Letting out a snort, Ryan closed his eyes and leaned forward against his legs. "Okay? How the hell can I be okay when I can't seem to stop myself from bursting into flames? Ruby…I…I don't know what's happening to me."

The girl watched him, before moving closer and kneeling on the ground in front of him. Her hands stretched forward, resting on his own where they tightened their grip on his legs, curling into a ball on the ground. "It'll be okay, Ryan. As I said before…I know you're a good person. Maybe…maybe there are some things we don't understand in this world. Everyone knows that we all have more to learn…let's just treat this like that, okay? Together, we'll figure out exactly what is causing this to happen. After all, I'm going to be working a lot with you from now on, right? I might as well try and help with this too. I did get some experience in investigation here, after all." She gave him a slight wink, trying to keep her voice light-hearted. He could hear some of that levity was forced, but he was grateful for the attempt nonetheless.

"Ruby…what if we find out I'm a monster? I mean…if I'm not even human, what right do I have to…to be here?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "You make it sound as if wolves don't have a right to live, or like we should burn down all the trees because any living thing other than humans is unnatural." Blinking, Ryan looked into her eyes. "Trust me. You've got nothing to worry about. If you think you're not human, so what? In all the ways that count, you seem human enough to me."

Emma and Evan were walking outside now, opening the door and searching for Ryan. Ruby stayed by his side, smiling and waving towards them. Evan looked a bit startled to see him on the ground, but did not object as he moved towards them. "Hey, I think I forgot something inside. Do you mind if I go and grab it?" Ruby looked at the three of them, before Evan nodded and she vanished inside, giving Ryan a small smile.

"Ryan…did you ever unsheathe that sword?" Evan was staring at Ryan with wide eyes.

The dark haired boy looked away, staring at the ground. He could still feel the odd appendage pressing against his back now, something that did not belong. Had he really just been thinking he had to repair his relationship with Evan? Everything in his life was falling apart right now. Evan didn't deserve to be dragged into that mess, no matter what the guy had done in the past. "No. Like I said, I thought it was creepy anyway so I didn't want to mess with it."

"I'm wondering if we should even give it back to Mr. Gold. There was something odd that happened to us when we tried—" Evan broke off as the door was opened, revealing Ruby running away with a grin.

"Get back here! Evan, stop her. She took the sword!"

Ruby ran past her as Graham came out, shouting at the girl. With a wild grin, she tossed the blade, now back in its red case, towards Ryan. "Catch. Think you can keep your hands on the sword this time, partner in crime?" She gave him a grin, before laughing and moving forward. "Sorry, but I think that sword belongs to your brother, Evan. If you ask me, Mr. Gold was the one who stole it from him based on everything I just saw. Good luck with everything else, though!"

Without another word, she grabbed Ryan's arm and began dragging him away in her flight. However, Ryan couldn't help but feel a small smile growing on his face as she did so. How had he made a good friend like her? Had such a small event really made such an impression? If so, he was glad he started that fight. He was glad he decided that it was worth angering Evan one more time to defend someone who clearly had done nothing wrong herself from idiots who couldn't be bothered to show some respect to others.

 **And finals are finished! Plus, Rin/Ryan now has his demonic powers fully awakened. So, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter (though I feel like I may have made Ruby a little OOC here...do you guys agree or not? It's my first time really focusing on her in any story.). Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

It was unexpected, to flee from his supposed arrest. Ryan really didn't know what had come over him, but he found himself grinning as he ran with Ruby, leaving a shell-shocked brother behind. Wasn't she right, after all? This sword was clearly connected to his powers. Then again, it wasn't like he understood what those powers were. All he knew was that the creepy clown said he was a demon, just like everyone else. Part of him didn't want to let Ruby find out, but a determined girl like her was likely to do so anyway.

When they finally reached Ryan's tavern, Ruby stopped running and released him, breathing hard and leaning forward onto her legs. "Well…that was kinda fun. I really didn't expect to go into work today and go from being their assistant to an actual criminal."

"I didn't tell you to steal the sword!" Ryan glared at her, while Ruby chuckled and shook her head. "Besides, why were you even working there anyway? I thought you loved working at Granny's."

"Actually, I always kinda hated it there. Granny never trusts me with anything, thinking I can't do anything because I'm too young, irresponsible…" She sighed, shaking her head. "Kinda like how the rest of this town treats you. As for the sword, it is clearly related to whatever is going on with you. I mean, didn't all of this mess with the fire start as soon as the mess with the sword began?"

Ryan reached back, touching the red case of the sword with a frown. She hadn't seen what he had seen, when the sword itself burst into flames with him. Still, there was only one person who seemed to understand anything about it in the first place. "Looks like I'll have to find that clown again somehow if I want to get any answers."

"You mean the one who gave you the sword?"

Nodding, Ryan began walking inside, letting Ruby follow after him. There, he could see the lingering signs of the damage caused by his last outburst of fire. No repairs had been done, so it still looked kinda like a wreck. However, that had been before the sword was drawn. His powers had supposedly been sealed, only tapped into because he was angry. Now he knew that it could have been a lot worse. "He seemed to know what would happen…if someone drew the sword. He talked about it a bit, but I didn't believe it would be true. Plus, I didn't really think Evan would go and draw the thing just because someone supposedly stole it away!"

"I hate to break it to you, but he was just doing his job. He had to make sure there was no damage done to the stolen property." Ruby took a seat, sitting down on one of the tables while Ryan sighed, pulling up a seat to sit across from her. He knew she was right, but it didn't change how he felt about the whole mess. Ryan knew it was his fault, just like it always was. Really, the whole dilemma between himself and his brother always seemed to stem from that same fact. Evan excelled at his job, doing everything perfectly and without question. It was something Ryan had never managed to do, not even as kids. For a while, it had made Ryan proud to be Evan's brother, but that was when the comparisons started. People always said Evan was better than him, and that Ryan should be more like his brother. That pride slowly turned into envy and jealously, before finally becoming the hate and anger he now knew. He tried to let go of it lately, but something always seemed to get in the way and bring that anger right back.

Turning to glance outside the window by the doors, Ryan sighed. "Yeah, he was." There really wasn't much more to say about that. "Still…it makes me wonder how they knew what would happen. It was as if they knew me…" He trailed off, before his eyes went wide. "The book. Henry's book, I need to see it!"

"Whoa there, calm down." Ruby held her hands out, while Ryan frowned. Something brushed against his leg, making him glance down and blink at the sight of his tail wagging, almost matching his eagerness. His glance made Ruby notice it as well, her eyes widening while Ryan scooted back and turned away, trying to ignore her stare as he felt heat rush into his cheeks. "Wait…since when do you have…? Never mind." She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "Are you trying to say you believe Henry's theory about everyone in this town? You do realize that he's in therapy for that…because there is no way we're all fairy tale characters."

In his heart, he knew it was impossible, but Ryan had always wanted to believe it. It would explain so much, from the blue flames that could be magic to the fact that those strangers clearly seemed to know him when Ryan couldn't remember a thing about them. "I get that. There's just…I get an odd feeling about those two. I mean, the one guy had green hair! Who does that anymore? Kids, sure, but an actual adult?"

Ruby pulled forward her own hair with raised eyebrows, as if taunting him to call her childish. The red ends caught his attention, making Ryan huff and turn away. "That's not what I mean. I mean, yours is done…well. It looks good. His was just…weird."

"I believe you said it looked like broccoli." Ryan nodded, while Ruby smiled and looked away. "Anyway, I guess we don't really have any other leads. But before we do that…don't you think we should see exactly what this sword does to you? It's already been unsheathed once, so one more time wouldn't hurt, right?"

She had a point, though Ryan didn't want to admit it. He swallowed, looking down at his lap as he felt his body grow cold. Doing this meant acknowledging that there was something inhuman about him. True, he had seen the fire before. Up until now, he had just been doing his best to ignore it. This time, there would be no going back. "Ryan…I know it won't be easy. Just trust me, okay? We'll get through this. I won't abandon you just because you've got some weird ability to set yourself on fire. If anything, that seems more like a hazard to you than anyone else around you."

He couldn't help but smile at her attempt to make light of the situation. Why had he not noticed how sweet Ruby could be before? Maybe it was because he had hardly spoken to her after helping her out that one time in the diner. He figured he had terrified her and it was best to just leave her alone for a while. "Alright then. I suggest standing back…I'm not really certain how large the fire will get."

Nodding, Ruby got back on her feet and began walking towards the kitchen. Standing in the spot Ryan had already somewhat destroyed with the flames, he reached behind his head to grab the sword. As he did so, he did not notice the faint sound of the door opening and closing, since he was busy focusing on how he felt as he pulled the sword from its sheath. In an instant, heat filled the room as flames erupted from both himself ad the sword. He inhaled deeply, noticing that with the sword drawn, his newly enhanced senses seemed to grow even stronger than before. Everything around him was viewed through a blue haze, yet Ruby only stared at him with wide eyes.

"Whoa…wait, so you can use magic?" A familiar voice made Ryan spin around, instantly returning the sword. As soon as he did so, the flames died out without any hesitation, leaving him staring at Henry with wide eyes. "That's awesome! I thought I was just dreaming when I saw you do that before. I bet that means you remember who you are now, right? That means you can take my mom's place in Operation Cobra!"

"Whoa there, kid." Ruby walked closer, glancing towards Henry with a slight smile. "Slow down or we're gonna miss what it is you're trying to say. Whatever is going on here isn't magic…"

No, it wasn't. Ryan knew with an odd certainty that whatever this power was, it was not the same as magic. An odd headache began to form, and with it, an odd image flashed in front of his eyes. He saw a town, burning in blue fire. He saw a man, with flames coming out of his face. Oddly, a name came to him with that sight, the man shouting for Yuri and his child.

Sweat beaded on his face, making Ryan stumble back. What was that? "Wait…I think I just saw something. Henry, can I see the book for a minute?" Henry nodded, quickly pulling it out of his bag and handing it over. Flipping through the pages, Ryan found the image they had looked at before, the one with the blue flames consuming the town that Snow had been staying near at some point in time. "I…Ruby, these flames…don't they look like—"

She sucked in a sharp breath, staring at the book and slowly shaking her head. "I mean…yes, but that could just be a coincidence." She looked towards Ryan, biting her lip. "But…what kind of a coincidence is that? I mean, who on earth thinks that an entire town would burn in blue fire?"

Another voice, making Ryan feel oddly cold came to mind. It was some kind of weird warning about the smell coming from the town, stating that Rin smelled a lot like it and that it usually only happened if the two individuals were related. Touching his head, Ryan closed his eyes. Was he Rin? It wasn't impossible, was it? Stumbling back, Ryan fell to the ground, closing his eyes. What started this? What gave him these images?

Blinking, he realized what it must have been. "Guys…I want to test something. Both of you, stand back for a while." Ryan shoved the book away, staying on the ground this time as he drew out the sword. Henry and Ruby blinked at him, watching as the fire ignited once more. It burned away the floors of the tavern, and what little remained of the tables near him. However, he didn't care. No, he wanted the flames to burn away the magic in his mind, hiding away who he really was. He wanted to know everything, and that seemed to be exactly what this fire was letting him see.

Images flashed in his mind, recalling an odd place where he grew up as a prince, the adopted brother of Snow White. Yukio, his brother, was always by his side and trying to protect him. He could remember running away and trying to help Snow deal with the terror of the Evil Queen. He remembered being caught again and dragged back, by his own brother. He remembered meeting Mephisto and Amaimon in that world, the two demons that called him brother.

All of those memories spiraled before him, leaving him gasping for air as he finally sheathed kurikara once more. Oddly, the image that lingered was that of the town he had stayed in when he first ran away. That town had spoken of blue flames before, but Rin had never believed it to be real. They claimed demons existed, and that they were going to be the first to know how to exterminate the incoming danger they posed. Part of their beliefs mentioned the king of all demons, one by the name of Satan that destroyed all worlds with his blue flames. Those flames had been a shock to see, but it was little in comparison to Snow's expression that seemed to blame him for it all.

Staring at his own hands, Rin could see exactly what it was. He knew who he was, and what must have happened. He truly was a demon, wasn't he? He was the son of that monster that had killed those people. He was the child Satan had been looking for, the one that could have stopped it all if he just knew a thing about himself. "Ryan? Are…are you okay?" Red's voice seemed to reach him, before he belatedly remembered where he was and what was going on. Ruby didn't remember being Red, nor did anyone else remember a thing. Why did he want to remember? Staring at his lap, Rin realized this was probably just a huge mistake. Memories only brought him more torment, making him realize that his life had been broken long before any curse came to destroy it.

( _Many years ago, in Gehenna)_

It was always the damn exorcists' fault, that was what Satan always told himself. From the very beginning, he knew they would interfere. See, for the longest time he had actually been a rather passive demon. He ruled over Gehenna, so rarely seeing a purpose in coming to Assiah. After all, his mere presence destroyed everything he came into contact with, burning their world to ash. So, he had become content with his home in the mirror dimension, living and terrorizing those of lesser power. It was only fitting for him to do so, after all.

Then, he couldn't quite remember what it was that caused it. Satan was fairly certain one of his sons had gotten too rowdy for his liking, and he had been annoyed. Wanting some form of escape, he decided to go to Assiah, even for the only brief time he'd be allowed. He killed wolves, deer, and other animals as he switched vessels for his possession. Then, eventually, he came across her. Yuri was beautiful, the most amazing woman he had ever met. With her kind eyes and dark brown hair, Satan knew he was enticed by this mortal. Then, when she offered her own body to be used as his host, he was shocked. His flames had yet to burn her, so there was a chance she might survive. Never did he learn what granted her such an immunity, but he was grateful to her nonetheless.

Yuri showed him everything. She taught him about life, and why it was valuable. She showed him more possibilities than he ever imagined. For the first time, Yuri taught him what it felt like to dream for a life better than what he possessed, speaking of the possibility of coexistence in Assiah. She spoke in such a beautiful way about that dream that Satan fought to make that dream his own. Eventually, that fight worked. Demons and humans would coexist, no matter what he had to do to make it so. After all, they were bringing their own child into the world, a half-demon who most would view as a monster in Assiah. He had to protect him, in a way he never had to protect his full-blooded demon children who lacked the mortality this child would have.

The entire time, exorcists tried to run her off. They told her he was evil, but she said he was misunderstood. They told her he was a monster, but she said he was kind. Always, she found a way to contradict their insults, making her the only mortal that Satan could stand being near. Yet, when the time came for his child to be born, everything he had dreamed of was torn away in an instant. He saw that those warnings and insults were not something just lightly stated. The exorcists would never accept the existence of demons, no matter how passively they tried to live their lives.

As Yuri went into labor, Satan saw them coming. From within his own realm, he watched it as if through a pane of glass. HIs wife was breathing hard, clearly struggling as she saw them crash into her home, weapons in hand to destroy Satan's own child. He had nearly intervened then, but somehow, Yuri managed to find the strength to try and run. She rose to her feet, stumbling towards the door and letting out a slight cry when the pains of labor grew. She could not move fast, he noted. It would not work well.

"No…stay away from her!" He shouted at the mirror realm, angered at the sight. They would not touch her or his child. He would not let that happen. So, he tried to think of a way to intervene and stop them himself. Possession would likely work, but Yuri had been trying to get him to avoid killing mortals. She said it was wrong, so he had to find another way. Yet, the more he searched the less he saw. She collapsed on the ground not far from the house, sagging into the snow and breathing heavily. Exorcists caught up to her not long after, not ever truly falling behind due to her slow pace.

Then, someone else moved out from the forest where her cabin existed. "Oh my, what have we here?" A familiar demon made Satan smile. Mephisto was there, one of his odd sons that always loved interfering. At the very least, Satan could confidently say he wouldn't try to end Yuri's life. "Such a poor state when a woman creating a new life must flee in terror from armed men. Shame on you for not having the manners to let this woman deliver her child in peace."

Stepping forward, a man with graying hair and glasses met their gaze. Much like the others, he was dressed in a priestly outfit, something which Satan despised on sight. "That child is the son of Satan. It has no right to exist in this world."

"Such a pity. I suppose it can't be helped, then." Shaking his head, Mephisto sighed and turned to leave. Satan stared at him, shaking his head. How could his son abandon his own brother? He wanted to shout, to yell, but his promise to Yuri to keep them alive held him back. Then again, perhaps that promise was not worth keeping. Nothing was worth her life. If he had to be the villain they thought him to be, he would. "Tata, darling. I'm afraid I can't help you like I thought I would. Good luck with the baby!" With that, Mephisto laughed and vanished, leaving Satan feeling angered towards the antics of the demon.

The priest moved closer, looking annoyed himself. "What an odd demon. Regardless, we should begin to surround—" The exorcist broke off, while Satan finally decided to intervene. Yuri needed to be safe, in a place where they could not harm her or his son. That place was not in Assiah, not where exorcists would want her dead. It also would not be in Gehenna, where demons would try and feed off of her with their cruelty. No, he opened up a gateway, a portal of the likes he had never done before. Even Satan was not certain where it went, but it did not matter so long as it was away from that place. He watched as Yuri fell through, entering a realm beyond his reach. He cried as he saw her fall, seeing the exorcists try and stop her from vanishing just a moment too late. Then, Satan was left to his own anger. Yuri was no longer there to watch him attack. So, he began possessing those damn exorcists one by one, claiming their lives for forcing him to send Yuri away. However, as he moved to the last one, the one who had spoken, he finally found the second oddity of the group.

"You…you will not have my body!" The exorcist managed to fight him off, sending him spiraling back into Gehenna after his rampage. Blue fire still lingered in the forest where Yuri once sat, but only the one priest was still alive. His name, Satan would learn, was Father Fujimoto. That exorcist would live for a long time as the only one capable of resisting possession from him, yet Satan did not care. No, he had work to do. This time, he would find a way to enter that new realm he had opened a portal to, and once there, he would find his wife and his child and bring them to his side where they belonged.

 **Thank you to all my readers for your support! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

It didn't take long for Rin to decide it was time to get away from them. He couldn't deal with Red, nor did he want to explain to Henry the problem with remembering everything. Hadn't the boy dreamed of the curse breaking after all? Rin didn't want to be the one to break that dream so suddenly by telling him that not all of those fairy tales had a happy ending. Still, he could feel their eyes glued to the back of his head as he turned and swiftly began walking out of his own restaurant. "Ryan!" Red's, no Ruby's shout still filled his ears. It wasn't his name, and that wasn't the Red he now remembered. It made him squeeze his eyes shut, taking in a sharp breath as he charged into the streets, no longer caring where he went. However, in doing so, he ran directly into Emma and Yukio, both of which had clearly been looking for him after their little stunt with the sword.

Their collision outside of his tavern made all three of them fall onto the ground, unable to keep their balance. Rin grunted as he felt kurikara dig into his back, but otherwise did not complain. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sat back up and found Yukio glaring at him, looking irritated. By his side, the blond looked just as annoyed, pressing a hand to her head as if she had a headache. "As I told you before, a guy like him doesn't have many places to go. I told you he'd come back here, or go home."

Emma's words made him scowl, looking away. "Like I could manage something like that." His voice was quiet, before he sighed and stared over at Yukio. It felt weird, running into him again already. He could remember everything about his brother, as if he had lived two separate lives at once. Ryan still existed, Rin knew that, but he didn't want to embrace those memories and the hatred he had been growing for his own brother. "You're after kurikara, right?" Evan blinked, looking startled while Rin realized his mistake. He shouldn't know the sword by name, not now. So, he quickly continued on, hoping to cover up his mistake. "The sword…I get that it came from Gold's shop, but you don't understand. I just…Yuk—Evan, there's more to it than just—"

"Before, you were not responsible for the theft, Ryan!" Evan was on his feet again, glaring down at his brother. "Now, you've helped Ruby steal it for a second time. Do you even realize what I am supposed to do to anyone who steals? You are my brother, and as much as I want to protect you, you keep doing these things and I just can't—"

"I know." Rin looked away, closing his eyes. "Arrest me if you have to. I'm still not giving anyone this sword. You'll have to fight me for it if you're that determined, Evan, and if you ask me, I think we both know who would win." Then again, maybe Evan could have beaten Ryan in a fight. Now, Rin had memories of training as a prince in his mind. He had learned under the supervision of the king himself on proper swordsmanship, though when he passed away and left him alone with Regina, she took over that task.

There was an odd tension in Yukio's gaze, something Rin wished was not there anymore. Why was he being so stupid? Sighing, Rin looked away and ran a hand through his hair. "You know what? Fine, take it. Just don't blame me about the damage that happens as a result." He pulled it off of around his back, closing his fist tightly around the red case for a moment. It felt wrong, giving it away after everything that happened. Even back home, everyone had begun to warn him about this sword not long before the curse hit. People said that it was tied to him, that it was the reason those blue flames Snow once saw were no longer consuming him. It looked like there was more to it than just that, based on Rin's own altered senses though.

"Ryan…what is—"

"Ryan, thank god you didn't get far." Ruby came running out of the tavern, with Henry right behind her. "What the hell is going on with you? I thought we were working together…" She trailed off, seeing him holding the sword out towards Evan. With a glare, she marched over and shoved it back towards him, turning on Evan quickly and beginning to stare him down. "That's enough. I don't care what it is that's wrong with you, there is no reason to just give up so easily."

Closing his eyes, Rin took a deep breath and focused on the ground. "I'm not giving up."

"Then what is going on with you?" Surprisingly, it was Emma who spoke, not Ruby. "I may not know you well, but even I can see that something is off. What happened to the guy that was shouting at me from the moment we first met?"

"He remembered something important to him." Rin looked away, glancing at Henry who blinked at him in surprise. "Turns out not everything is worth remembering, though. That sword is not a toy, Yuk—Evan." He had to stop slipping like that. "It isn't even something that should be in this town…why didn't it just stay there when the—" Rin broke off, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it. Damn that clown, and that scaly skinned bastard." The Dark One was involved in this, somehow. Why did he even want kurikara? Rin didn't know, but it irritated him to feel like he was Rumple's pawn.

A hand touched his shoulder, making him turn around to see Ruby trying to give him a sympathetic gaze. However, it wasn't the look he wanted from her. He wanted to see the confident headstrong girl he knew from his adventures with her and Snow. He wanted to see the girl striving to become better, because she knew and accepted what she was. Right now, he needed someone like that more than ever. So, he jerked away from her touch, scowling at her in irritation. "Sorry." She looked away, blushing faintly. "I wasn't trying to be rude…but you just look—"

"Like someone to pity?" He snorted, closing his eyes and rising to his feet. "You feel sorry for me. I honestly don't know if that's better or worse than what everyone else thinks." Then again, it wasn't all that different from back home. He belonged in a prison cell, for being stupid enough to think he could be useful to anyone.

"Ryan!" Evan narrowed his eyes. "What has gotten into you? Ruby never did anything to you, she is just trying to help."

That was the most painful thing of all. Before, when his brother tried to give him advice like that, it always came with a wavering uncertainty in his eyes, as if he questioned if he was being too harsh with his brother. Now, it just came with stern anger, a look Rin never wanted to see his little brother giving him. "All of you need to calm down and focus on the important thing here. Ryan, if you remember, then that means the curse—"

"Is real?" Rin let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Sure. And it also is something that we're not getting out of with ease. Trust me…when the Dark One wants something done, he finds a way to make sure it sticks."

"Dark One?" Emma rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Look, I get that you agree with Henry's story book beliefs, but even I know that there is no fairy tale being known as that in any book."

Meeting her gaze, Rin remained calm for once and rose back to his feet. "You might be right. That's because he isn't all that popular of a character, but you better believe he's someone you don't want to mess with. I barely even met the guy and the only reason I even spoke to him was because—well, I don't think now's the time to talk about that." Really, there wasn't a good time to talk about it at all. At first, he had thought Rumple was in those cells because of Regina, but he later learned that it was Snow in charge again. Why had she not released him? Then again, there had been more and more incidents with blue flames sprouting up throughout that place around that time. Maybe she blamed him for the whole thing, just like she nearly had when they first met.

"And who were you? Do you know how to break the curse at all? I mean, someone back there had to at least have started some kind of more detailed plan than what I told you about from the book." Henry looked eager, staring at Rin with hopeful eyes. However, Rin looked away, closing his hands into fists, the one holding the sword tightening and wrinkling the fabric.

"I was in prison at the time…right alongside Rumplestiltskin." That made Henry stare at him in shock, his eyes widening. "You think I'm some kind of hero, Henry? Well, I'm not, so just stop with all those illusions in your head about happy endings and fairy tales. I tried to do the right thing. All that I got was a prison cell and a crazy imp trying to taunt me with his riddles and deals."

"Ryan…whatever it is that's going on with you, I'm certain we can work it out." Evan looked cautious for once, holding his hands out in a calming motion. "I know that you and Henry are close, but there are better ways of coping with anger than—"

"Shut up, Yukio." This time, Rin didn't care about the name he used. Really, he was already talking openly about the past anyway, so it didn't matter. "You can give me that crap once you actually remember a thing about me…and this sword. If you knew what it was, you wouldn't be trying to give it back to Gold, that's for sure."

"But it is still the law, Ryan." Evan held his hand out, while Ryan sighed, hanging his head. Maybe he'd have to show his brother something to get out of this, something minor to convince him that taking the sword back was a bad idea. However, before he could even really think through how to do such a thing, something yanked on the case and tugged it free from his grip. A sudden blur shot past him, with a giggling voice echoing in the air.

"Finally!" A familiar green haired demon stood before him, making Rin grow tense as he recalled meeting this man in both worlds. "I've been waiting so long for you to wake up, little brother. Now, we can finally play! Ooh…I wonder, do you mind if I keep this for a moment?" He held out the sword as a taunt, while Rin tensed, stepping forward threateningly. However, the case dropped, revealing the blue sheath underneath. Amaimon gripped it with an amused grin, one hand clasping the blade and the other the sheath. No matter what happened here, Rin knew it was not going to be good. However, he just hoped he could get the others away before it turned into a complete disaster that took their lives rather than just their peace of mind about the world around them.

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Sitting around in a cell was not how Rin ever expected to spend his life. Being placed in that cell by his own brother was even more unexpected, but it still was understandable. Yukio would never abandon him. Rin had confidence in that fact, so he had relaxed and taken to trying to find ways to entertain himself, despite the lack of…well, anything in the cell. Sleeping on the dirt ground was not that difficult to get used to after camping with Snow for so long, but not being able to talk to anyone or do anything was far worse. Soon, he knew he'd go mad from just sitting around.

Rin didn't know how long it was before the new prisoner joined him. He had heard rumors about the man, sure, but when he saw the man with the yellow-tinted skin in the cell next to him, he was stunned. Someone had actually managed to capture the Dark One. Yet, the odd cackle he gave off once inside sent chills down his spine. It almost sounded like he was pleased to be here, despite the boringness the cells held.

"Why, hello there, dearie. I didn't expect them to be so kind as to give me a cell mate." He smiled brightly, offering a hand. "I'm Rumplestiltskin, but you likely already knew that. Though, I suppose you aren't all that much, are you?"

Scowling, Rin glared back at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I can do plenty—"

"Oh, the hot-headed brother of the princess, I think we all know quite well the kinds of fights you get into. You're almost worse than pirates with that kind of a mindset, you know." Once again, Rin didn't know what to make of the insult, but he knew the man was looking down on him with that arrogant smile of his.

Leaning forward, Rin glared at him. "Shut up about that! I can control my temper just fine when I want to."

"Then what are you doing in here? Most people don't end up in prison for nothing, dearie, especially not with that oh so pure-hearted princess leading our kingdom now." Wait, what? Rin stared at the Dark One, his eyes growing wide. "Did you not hear the news? Snow has overthrown the evil queen. Victory is hers, and now she gets to live happily ever after with her truuue love. Such a wonderful ending, is it not?"

He didn't understand. Glancing out of the cell, Rin saw nothing but dim light illuminating the cave around them. "But…why am I here then? I mean, we were raised together. Snow knows me…I was only here because of—"

"Indeed, but you know more than that, don't ya?" Rin didn't answer. They hadn't found much on the blue flames sprouting up everywhere, despite trying to figure out what the source was. Every time they found another attack, Snow seemed to get more and more suspicious of him. "There's something dark in you, dearie. I daresay you are possibly even darker than me, whatever it is." Leaning closer, the Dark One grinned, his teeth taking on that same yellowed tone as his skin and making Rin wonder if the guy had ever heard of hygiene at all. "In fact…I find myself rather interested in the power I sense in you. Would you be interested in making a deal and offering me some of that power? After all, I am the most powerful magic user in the world. Anything your heart desires—"

"No." He knew what happened to people who made deals. However, based on the wide eyed look on Rumple's face, Rin realized that few people refused to take one when it was offered. "I'm…I'm normal. I refuse to be anything else…so there's nothing you can give me that I'd want, Dark One. Just stop bothering me, because I'm not going to fall for your tricks and make some deal with you."

Oddly, the man gave out a giggle of amusement at that, clapping his hands together with the cackle. "Is that so? Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, dearie. After all, I get the feeling that we'll be getting to know each other real well here…since we are both sentenced to live here for life, right?" Another laugh echoed throughout the cavern while Rin buried his head into his legs. His own sister was keeping him trapped in this place. He didn't know why, but all he could focus on was hoping that Yukio didn't agree with her. Hopefully, his brother was still out there trying to find a way to free him, but the more he heard about Snow, the more he wondered if he could even put his faith in those familial ties. Even family was willing to betray him, once they saw the monster that Rin was slowly beginning to feel lurking beneath his own skin, begging to be released just like those blue flames he saw every time that demon came in search of Yuri and their son.

 **Thank you to Pizza Man for another review! I'm glad you enjoyed. Things are starting to get a little more intense here, with Amaimon coming back. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest.)_

More time had passed in the boring cells, with only Rumple to keep Rin company. He hated the damp smell of the walls, and the dull light was almost enough to give him a headache at this point. Everything here just gave him more time to think, and that was the last thing Rin wanted to be doing. After spending so much time here, he had pretty much given up hope on getting out again. There wasn't much reason to hope for escape, after all, when his only friends were the ones keeping him here.

Part of him wanted to believe in Yukio at the very least, but he just couldn't. After all, if Yukio had stuck by Regina's side through everything, why wouldn't he stick with Snow? For that reason, Rin realized that his brother probably agreed with their sister. For whatever reason, they all thought it was better if Rin was here, rather than in the outside world. The thought made him angry, though he knew that there had to be something he was missing. Snow wasn't that unreasonable, after all. She had to have a reason for keeping him here, even if he didn't understand what that reason was.

When footsteps came from deeper in the cave where Rin couldn't see, he blinked in surprise. No one ever came down here, not since Rumple was placed in his cell. The Dark One looked up, a smile forming on his face as he moved towards the odd bone-like bars and gripped them in both hands. "You have visitors, Dark One." A soldier spoke, guiding the group of three into the cell room. They stood in the shadows, not entering the torchlit room where Rumple and Rin were imprisoned.

"Why don't you come out into the light where I can see you?" The three of them seemed to share a look at Rumple's words. The Dark One smiled, leaning forward and pressing his face into the bars. "And put down those ridiculous hoods. It really doesn't suit you, Snow White."

The cloaked figured stepped forward at those words, one in particular standing out. Snow White pulled down the hood of her cloak, revealing her long black hair and making Rin grow tense. "Snow…so it was true." The girl looked towards him, biting her lip before staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry. Rin…it's for your own protection."

"Yes, yes, a tragic story of betrayal and heartbreak." Rumplestiltskin interrupted before Snow could go on further. "We all have heard that one before, dearie, so why don't we just focus on why you're really here? You wouldn't come to me for nothing. You came…for a deal."

"I want to know what she's planning. The evil queen is planning something…and I need to be able to stop it."

Still, it wasn't enough. They were all acting like Rin wasn't here, like the Dark One was all that mattered. It got on his nerves, finally seeing them again only to be ignored in favor of someone who was clearly only looking out for himself. However, one of the figures broke apart from the group and approached him as the Dark One began to mention his price, demanding the name of Snow's unborn child.

"Rin…I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner." Yukio's voice spoke from under the hood, the man kneeling in front of him. "I'm sorry for putting you here in the first place…for everything, really. I've made so many mistakes, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to fix them."

"Deal" Snow's conversation continued on next to them, but Rin wasn't concerned with it.

"Everyone does stupid things, Yukio. Just look at all the fights I get into. Just look at where I'm at now…really, if either one of us is an idiot, I'd have to say that would be me." He gave a slight laugh, trying to make it sound like a joke. However, it was rather obvious how forced it was. There really was no reason to be amused, after all.

Yukio stared at him, his gaze hardening. "Rin…this isn't your fault. Snow didn't want to keep you in here…but we had no choice. Kurikara is gone, Rin. The sword Snow told you about wasn't here when she took the castle back. Either someone stole it, or Regina managed to escape with it. Whichever scenario is the case…there's is a high likelihood that someone will draw the blade and the seal will vanish. At least these cells are designed to contain such a high amount of energy…it is the only way to contain it if that seal breaks."

"The cells are designed to block magic, dearie." The Dark One seemed to overhear, smiling darkly at the boy just as he finished describing the curse to Snow White. "I may be powerless here…but your brother never struck me as the magical type. So tell me, if it is not magic you are concerned over, what exactly is his power?"

"That is none of your business, Dark One." Rumplestitlskin only giggled at Yukio's words, clapping his hands together eagerly and taking a few steps into his cell.

Nodding, Yukio leaned back towards Rin, whispering under his breath. "Still…he has a point. One day, I'll come back for you, Rin. I'll get you out of here…I have to find a way to do at least that much for you." Rin didn't know what to say in response, however he didn't get the chance to reply. Yukio rose to his feet, spinning around and moving to walk out with Snow and her husband. However, that was when Rumple began to shout, his tone taking on a mix of a crazed and angered sound.

"Wait! I need her name, you owe me her name!" He began trying to reach through the bars, slamming his hands against them and spitting with each word. "We had a deal. Now give me her name!"

Snow paused, turning around for a brief moment. Rin really didn't know what he was going to do with the name of the person meant to break the curse. After all, hadn't he just said they'd all forget this when the curse was finished? Still, he was good at planning things. Maybe he had a way to avoid the curse himself. "Emma." One word was all Snow said, before turning and leaving with the others.

Relaxing, the Dark One seemed to get an oddly happy smile on his face which only served to make him look even more like a creep. Rin made sure to put some space between them as the man began to repeat the name to himself in the cell, giggling on occasion. Eventually, the man seemed to have found a jar of ink and a piece of paper, taking it from a hole in the rocky walls. Like a crazed man hunched over the ground, Rumple began to write at a scrambling pace, whispering Emma's name and letting it echo into the room around them.

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

"Everyone, get back!" Rin shouted, just as Amaimon laughed and unsheathed the sword in front of him. The startled residents of Storybrooke seemed to have a delayed reaction to his shout, but they began to move rather quickly once the blue flames sprung to life. His entire body was coated in them, along with the sword in front of them.

"Well…that's interesting. I wonder what happens if I do this." Amaimon sheathed the sword again, and the blue flames died out. Looking confused, the demon actually seemed to toy around with the process, unsheathing and sheathing the blade repeatedly. The constant shift from being on fire to not was getting on Rin's nerves, but Amaimon finally paused with the blade unsheathed and frowned. "Huh, so that's what the sword does. I guess that's why Mephisto said I had to wait to test you. It really would have been boring to try and play with you before."

"What the hell is going on?" Emma's voice came from behind him, shouting at anyone who would listen. "That guy can't possibly…I mean he's on fire! That just doesn't happen."

By her side, Yukio seemed to be staring in wide-eyed shock himself. "I know. Ryan…" For once, his voice actually sounded concerned. However, Rin wasn't focused on them at the moment.

"What the hell do you want? I'm not in the mood for games, so just give me back my sword and we can be done with this."

Raising his eyebrows, Amaimon balanced the sword over his shoulders, behind his neck. "Huh? But then I'd still be bored, and Mephisto would be upset since I'm supposed to determine how strong you are. For whatever reason, our older brother has become rather interested in you, Rin. To be honest…I'm not certain what all the fuss is about. You don't look like much to me."

It was weird, hearing that directed towards him when he was coated in blue flames. How was that not intimidating? Then again, this thing in front of him wasn't human either. "Is that what you wanted back then too?" The demon nodded, smiling eagerly and moving closer.

"Of course! Now, are you ready? I think it'll be more interesting to keep you motivated…so I'm going to keep this sword safe and sound right here. Your goal is to take it away from me." Rin scowled at him, stepping forward with a glare.

"This isn't some stupid game! People could get hurt, and no one here even has a clue what the hell is going on!"

Blinking, Amaimon glanced towards the others that were backing away. "Hmm…okay then." Instead of going the sword back, Amaimon leapt into the air, landing in front of the others with a crouch. "Hello. I'm assuming you guys are Rin's human friends. My name is Amaimon, and I'm the demon king of Earth, Rin's older brother. Would you mind staying out of our way so we can play a game for a little while?"

"Rin…who the heck is Rin?" Evan leaned forward, glaring at the man. "And demon king? Demons aren't real…you can't possibly be claiming that they are."

Shrugging, Amaimon glanced back towards Rin. "Well, it seems they don't believe me. Did you want to try convincing them? Surely, you'd have more luck with those flames of yours. They look just like father's…and everyone knows that Satan is a demon, even if they don't know about me."

"Shut the hell up!" Rin didn't want them to hear about this. They didn't need to know where he came from, or what he was. Hell, Rin himself didn't even want to know. Charging forward, he tried reaching for the sword, only for Amaimon to lean to the side, letting Rin fly right past him.

"Oh? Yay, it looks like you're finally ready to play!" Amaimon smiled brightly, grabbing Rin by the collar of his shirt and leaping into the air. "Come on then, brother. If the humans won't go away, we'll just play our game elsewhere. Bye bye everyone!" Rin let out a sharp yell as he was thrown down onto something hard, his back digging into it as Amaimon landed lightly on his feet. Glancing around, he blinked in surprise to see they were on a rooftop of one of the stores across the street. "Now…that was a rather pitiful attempt. Do you think you need to start with an easier game?"

Glaring at him, Rin got back to his feet and stood tensely, observing Amaimon for a moment. Charging in wouldn't work against this guy, he could see that now. However, what could he do? He was unarmed, and clearly outmatched here. When he moved forward to make another attempt for the sword, Amaimon darted towards him instead of away. "I know! We'll play tag!" With a sudden motion, Amaimon slammed a fist into Rin's chest, sending the younger demon flying into the next building over, off of the roof and collapsing onto the ground. "You're it! Now, come see if you can catch me, Rin!"

With a laugh, Amaimon began running through town, leaping between rooftops with the flaming sword in hand. Glaring at the sight, Rin rose to his feet and began charging after him. He didn't care who saw him now. After all, no one seemed to have much of a reaction beyond shock in this town. No one knew about demons here, so no one knew exactly how dangerous he was. Still, as he passed by Gold on the street, he did hear a whispered comment that lingered with him. "That's impossible…there is no magic—" By then, he was too far away to hear the rest. However, it told Rin enough to know that the Dark One truly was awake in this town.

Others let out startled shouts as he burst past them, his gaze locked on Amaimon who leapt around above them. He turned, forcing Ryan to run through alleys between buildings and eventually, Amaimon disappeared into the forest surrounding Storybrooke. Rin followed after, charging into the trees and searching for the green haired demon, wherever he might have gone. "Get back here, you bastard! I'm not here to play your stupid game, so just give it up already and give me back my sword!"

With a sigh, Amaimon appeared, standing on one of the branches in the tree to Rin's right. "You're no fun. Either way, Mephisto did say that I could only play with you in town." He frowned, shrugging and dropping the sword and sheath towards him. "I'm getting bored of this already. You really aren't anything special after all, and it's not worth the trouble I'll get into for continuing this out here. Maybe next time you'll be more interesting to play with, little brother."

With that, Amaimon seemed to leap away again, leaving Rin alone in the forest. He sheathed the sword, replacing it back behind his back and taking a deep breath. What the hell had just happened? He didn't understand anything. However, as he glanced around, he realized with startling certainty that Amaimon was right. This was definitely beyond Storybrooke's borders, and that meant he truly was free from the curse. Either way, he had no idea how to get back from here. Rain began to fall, and Rin simply stayed put, staring at the ground and closing his eyes. He wished Emma would hurry up and get rid of the curse. Right now, he could really use Yukio's advice on what to do next with his life, since it all seemed to be falling apart faster than Rin could fight to keep it together.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

( _A few years ago, in Japan)_

Returning from Neverland was a difficult task for anyone. The biggest issue Baelfire had was the unpredictability of the trip. Stealing Pan's shadow had sure been problematic, and that boy himself was always going to be searching for Baelfire, but it wasn't as challenging as returning to a world that he already knew nothing about. Before, at least technology hadn't advanced as much as it was now. He had no idea how much time had passed, or where he was. All he really knew for certain was that it was loud, and there were a ton of people around. Without the Darlings like he had found before to look after him, he would have to go back to stealing for food and hopefully not get caught. He knew he probably wouldn't find someone as kind as Wendy a second time around, especially not in this place where people spoke in a strange language that he had no hope of understanding.

Overall, he was hungry, cold, and alone. He realized that early on, and when he tried talking to others to ask for help, he just got strange looks and gibberish in response. Eventually, he grew to hate his decision to even leave his own world for this one. Nothing good came from it. In fact, he should have known nothing good would come from even trying to make a deal with his own father. The only person who ever benefited from such deals was the Dark One himself. Baelfire wanted nothing more to do with him or his past, so he decided not long after coming to this world to cast off everything that brought back memories to his old home, even his own name. Deciding that even his memories in Neverland were better than those from the Enchanted Forest, he took up a combination of names from the pirates he had met on Hook's ship. Neal Cassidy became his new identity, not that it really helped him at all when he couldn't understand a word spoken to him.

He managed to survive for about a month, finding an open market where it was easier to palm handfuls of rice and fish without being seen. Too many people crowded in the area for him to really be noticed as much more than a very dirty boy, almost looking like a child even. However, one day, that luck ran out. Just as he was grabbing and trying to pocket a rice ball from a local food stand, someone clapped a hand on his shoulder from behind, making him spin around with wide eyes. "Hey, kid. You're looking pretty hungry. But still, do you think that merchant isn't hungry too?" It was an older man, dressed in what looked like a long black dress-like garment. He had glasses on, from which a chain hung with crosses dangling on both sides of his face.

What also was a bit shocking was the fact that he spoke Neal's language. He blinked in surprise, before trying to think of what to say, just as he had scrambled the last time he was in this world, caught by Wendy while trying to steal some break. "I…there's a good reason why—" He broke off, seeing the man turn towards the merchant and begin speaking in that strange language everyone else used instead. After a moment, he seemed to hand over a small handful of coins, before grabbing Neal by the arm and pulling him away. "You do speak like them. Then why…why did you know to use something else with me?"

The man laughed, shaking his head at the boy. "I just caught you stealing from that poor merchant, and you want to know why I speak English?" He chuckled again, pushing his glasses up on his face. "You are a strange one. I spoke English to you because you clearly aren't dressed like someone from Japan. My line of work makes me travel a bit, so I can help everyone in need. I learned English because I actually have some work to do in America soon, plus I have clients from England and other countries as well."

Frowning, Neal wondered why he wasn't being punished then. He had done something wrong, yet this man was smiling as if everything was alright. Neal was being led away from the market place, towards a more rural area of town. There, he saw a few residential homes as they walked. "Then…why did you help me? You don't know me, and from what you saw, I'm nothing more than a petty thief." Did that really make him any better than his father? He grimaced at the thought, feeling dirty and wrong like a real criminal. The man in the dress was right about the merchant. Somehow, that man had to be able to get food too, and Neal was taking that ability away from him without even thinking about the consequences.

Looking towards him, the older man nodded and chuckled again. Still, he looked to be in his twenties, now that Neal studied him a bit more closely. Maybe it was a little wrong to call him old, if that was the case. "Everyone gets lost from time to time. Calling one kid a petty thief for trying to feed himself is a little harsh, don't you think?" He offered a hand, still smiling. "I don't think I ever introduced myself to you. My name is Father Fujimoto, and not only do I own the monastery in this town, I also happen to be an exorcist. It is my job to help others in need, alright?"

At least Neal understood half of what the guy was saying. A monastery was like a church, so he knew this man was religious in some way. Still, Neal had no idea what an exorcist was or what they did. "Oh." He frowned for a moment, before shaking the man's hand. He wasn't quite so quick to trust others, not after what he learned about Hook. He wasn't going to be used like that again, just because of who he was. "I'm Neal. I really am sorry to have put you through so much trouble."

"Ha, I'd hardly call this trouble." His lips pulled back, showing his teeth as his grin widened. "I go through a lot more than this on a daily basis. Anyway, your parents are probably worried about you with how late it is getting. Do you want me to walk you home?"

Staring at his feet, Neal bit his lower lip. "My father wouldn't care if I dropped dead right now." He spoke bitterly, unable to stop himself. "He abandoned me, breaking our promise…" He had to cut off his words, realizing he was getting dangerously close to the same mistake he had made with Hook.

Blinking, Father Fujimoto stared at Neal for a moment. "And your mother?"

"Dead." He didn't really want to get into the details of that story either. "I'm all alone at the moment, and I have no idea where I'm at or where I'm going…this place is almost like a new world for me. I kinda…tried to convince my father to come with me, but once I was on my way here, he decided to stay behind."

"Now that's just shameful, abandoning one's own child like that." The exorcist placed his hands on his hips, frowning and shaking his head. "I take it that's why you've been bumbling around like an idiot then? Well, it looks like someone needs to step up and keep you in line." Blinking, Neal stared at the man who stepped closer and ruffled his hair. "I've lost someone rather close to me recently. You know, you look a little bit like her…and I promised her I'd try to change and be more open minded to the world around me. Learning from someone who's traveled and seen the harsh truth of reality could be good for me, don't you think?"

Neal didn't understand. Was this man trying to get him to help somehow? "I…I'm not really suited to teach you anything. I mean, I am still really clueless about a lot here, and I couldn't possibly—"

"Of course you can! Just be yourself, and I'm certain you'll manage to do great things." He paused for a moment, studying him closely. "In fact, I might be willing to teach you as well. Do you want to help others yourself?" Neal nodded, wanting so badly to escape the path set in front of him by the darkness in his family. "Then I'll show you. I'll teach you how to be an exorcist, like me, and we can fight side by side against the demons that live in this world. What do you say, Neal? Will you work with me?"

He offered a hand, now stopping as they stood in front of a gate that seemed to open into the courtyard of his church. Staring up at the man, Neal hesitated, uncertain of what exactly this job would entail. However, the idea of fighting against demons, something that sounded a lot like magic, appealed to him. Magic was the source of all of his problems, after all. If he could learn how to fight against it and make sure it stayed out of his life, he would do just that. So, he nodded and took Father Fujimoto's hand, smiling faintly. "I will. Teach me what you know." With that, he became an apprentice to the man that would one day become the most powerful exorcist in the Vatican. Maybe Neal had a few times when he tried to run away and strike out on his own out of fear of what this job could do to him, but always, he returned to the side of the first man in ages that truly felt like a father to him.

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

Rin lost track of how much time passed as he sat out in the middle of no where, wondering exactly why his life had gone to hell over the last few days. Part of him wondered if Storybrooke would be better off if he never returned. Those weird strangers in town would probably leave them alone then, and they wouldn't have to deal with Rin's demonic powers surfacing. As he lied down on the ground, he lifted his hand and frowned, studying his skin. It looked completely normal, yet he knew that he wasn't human. He had the same flames as that monster from the Enchanted Forest, the one that killed people in search of Yuri and his son. Hell, Rin was certain that creep was killing people to try and find himself. After all, wasn't it possible for him to inherit these flames from whatever kind of monster that was? Even the green haired freak from town made a comment about him being 'just like father' or something when the broccoli head saw his flames.

The sword dug into his back as he rested, but Rin decided he probably deserved that discomfort. It was the same way he deserved the pain in his stomach as he starved himself by staying out here so long. If he didn't eat soon, he probably would just waste away. Yet, he couldn't feel motivated enough to really return. The green haired freak would see him again, and then another fight would break out. Plus, he'd have to deal with his former cell mate asking questions about the blue flames that had surrounded Rin as he ran out of town like a madman, trying to chase down the demon playing around with his sword like a toy.

Sighing, Rin closed his eyes and dropped his hand over his stomach. Having time to sit and think about everything wasn't exactly helping him much. Overall, he just felt worse than before. He could remember telling so many people that they were wrong about him being a demon, shouting and starting fights over that very comment. Yet, wasn't he the liar then? He really wasn't human. Despite trying to live like a normal kid, Rin had never been human in the first place. Snow had been right to keep him in that cell after all. He was a monster with those blue flames unleashed, terrifying everyone around him including himself. He had seen the aftermath at his restaurant, after all. There was no doubt that it would kill someone if they were caught inside those flames as well.

A light breeze was running through the forest, keeping the air cool and comfortable at the very least. Rin knew it would probably be easy to get back to town, as long as he could get to the road. The forest wasn't that deep, after all, but he still didn't know if he could still feel indecision weighing on his mind. The sounds of nature filled his ears, from the rustling leaves above him to the occasional crack of twigs on the branches as the weakest of them fell to the ground at rare moments. Everything sounded louder than he was used to, likely due to the seal being broken on the sword. The air smelled sharper, and he felt like he could detect the odd undertones of the scent of animals in the area. Really, it bothered him having his own senses serve as a constant reminder of what he was trying to forget.

The snapping and rustling noises seemed to grow louder and more frequent for a moment, making Rin lift his head and frown at the trees in front of him. Was someone else out here? He didn't know why, but he was almost certain that he was hearing footsteps. Some of them sounded normal, but there was a fainter noise, almost making him think an animal was approaching as well. Those fainter footsteps picked up their pace, making Rin rise to his feet as he realized something was running towards him. Maybe these senses did have some kind of purpose, if he could get some kind of warning when some animal was about to attack him. His hand reached over his head, grasping the hilt of his sword since it really was his only weapon out here. However, he stopped just short of drawing it, seeing a small black cat with a split tail glaring out towards him.

 _Demon! I smell the scent of demons on you, and I won't let you hurt Shiro!_

Blinking, Rin stared at the cat, wondering if he had imagined the odd echoing voice in his head. However, he didn't have much time to think as the cat before him suddenly grew to be even larger than himself. "Whoa…what the hell?" Rin stumbled back, uncertain as the cat growled at him again.

 _Go back! I'm not letting you anywhere near him!_

Once again, Rin heard words that just didn't make sense. However, he was beginning to accept that somehow, he could understand what this cat was saying. Then again, it clearly wasn't a regular cat either. Was it a demon like him or something? Meeting its gaze, Rin slowly began to see an odd similarity between this creature and Red when she lost control in her wolf form. The only difference was that Rin could actually hear words from this creature, unlike with Red. So, he did the same thing he used to do to calm down the instincts of the wolf in Red. Crouching down, Rin lowered his gaze and tried to make his posture seem as unthreatening as possible. He kneeled on the ground, slowly lowering his hand from the hilt of his sword and pressing it into the dirt by his feet. "I'm sorry for scaring you. However, I promise you that I'm not here to hurt anyone."

The cat stared at him for a moment, the growling temporarily halted. However, then the demon tensed again, crouching low to study him. _Demons lie! Shiro told me that, so why should I trust you?_

"Because I'm not a demon!" He glared at the cat, before biting his lower lip and looking away. "I'm not…" He whispered the repeated words, trying to convince himself that it could be true. He refused to live his life like a demon. There was no way he would become a monster like that. Then again, wasn't this cat just trying to protect someone? Rin could still hear the other footsteps coming closer yet, likely the very friend this cat wanted to defend.

The cat huffed out a breath, sniffing Rin for a moment. _You do smell a little different from a demon. Actually…you don't smell like anything I've found before._ Watching the cat, Rin frowned, uncertain of what to say. Was he really going to lie again? He closed his eyes, looking at the dirt once more instead of the black cat in front of him. _If you aren't a demon and you aren't a human, what are you?_

Taking a deep breath, Rin tried to calm himself. He didn't want to face this, not ever. So long as no one talked about it, he could pretend the tail was just normal. He could pretend he didn't burst into flames just because a sword he didn't even remember until now was drawn. "Please…don't ask me that. Don't make me…just let me…" He wrapped his arms around himself, inhaling sharply as he felt moisture on his cheeks. Was he crying? He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. Then again, he had always been way more sensitive than Yukio, more prone to showing his emotions than keeping them hidden away.

The cat blinked at him, tilting his head for a moment before sitting down. In an instant, the cat seemed to shrink down into a normal size, gazing at Rin with green eyes. _It's okay. I don't mind if you're different. It just means that there's something more to learn about you. That's what Shiro would say, I think._ The cat paused, its tail swishing back and forth.

Looking at the cat, Rin blinked in surprise. Was he really taking advice from a talking cat anyway? Then again, he seemed nice, now that he wasn't attacking Rin at least. "Huh. Maybe you're right." He frowned for a moment longer, before turning towards Kuro with a faint smile. "My name's Rin. It's nice to meet you." Then, he did probably one of the stupidest things he could think of, in retrospect. He held out his hand for the cat to shake it.

Tilting his head, Kuro slowly began to grin before leaping forward, rubbing his head against Rin's outstretched palm. Relieved that no one had been around to see him looking stupid, he began to scratch behind the cat's ears, hearing him purr slightly from the action. _Wow, that feels so good!_ He purred again, while Rin smiled wider, finally feeling like there was at least some upside to being part demon. If it meant he could make cool friends with someone like this cat, maybe there was a way to make something good out of it. _My name's Kuro! I'm really glad you aren't here to hurt Shiro. Your ear scratches might be even better than his!_

This time, Rin laughed out loud at that. "Yeah? Well, I pride myself on—" He broke himself off, looking up and blinking in surprise at the sight of two men actually walking closer. One looked rather average, dressed in blue jeans and a plain gray hoodie, with messy brown hair. A simple silver cross hung at the end of a chain around his neck, looking just plain weird with the rest of his appearance. However, next to him was the man that made Rin pause. He had dark black robes, the kind that the priests had back in the town that helped him after he ran away from the castle. More crosses decorated his outfit, marking him as someone pretty high up in whatever church he was a part of. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he actually had heard of religions like that in this world. He just never expected to see them near Storybrooke, given their situation.

 _Shiro!_ Kuro looked up, immediately running towards the gentlemen with the graying hair, the older of the two. Crouching down, the priest began to rub Kuro's back with a faint smile. _I've made a new friend! Rin isn't here to hurt you, I made sure of that first. He's amazing, he can talk to me and everything! I haven't met a human that can do that before._

Blinking, Rin stared at Kuro with wide eyes. Had the cat really just called him human? Then again, with how wide the cat was grinning, staring back at him, maybe it was Kuro's way of making him feel better. Oddly, it seemed to work, filling him with a strange warmth. "It looks like you've gone out on your own again. Now, what have you found here?"

The old man spoke, smiling towards Rin as Kuro moved back towards the youth's side. "You know that's just how Kuro is, old man. He's probably got nothing to do with what we were sent out here to deal with." The other man sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Seriously, I just want to get this over with. I've been done with you guys for years, and now the church wants me to go out on one last final job before letting me completely break off contact?"

"You know why we have to do this, Neal." The older man seemed to grow serious, glancing back at his friend for a moment. Then, he sighed and shook his head, turning back towards Rin. "Pardon my friend here, he's not usually one for camping. See, we're travelers and we heard some odd rumors about these parts. People say this forest is haunted, and that people who go in this area disappear and never return. Those that are seen here all seem to suffer from horrific accidents, making it a place of odd interest for exorcists like myself and Neal here."

He had heard of that job before, back in the Enchanted Forest too. It was a job Father Gregory had tried to start up, asking for his followers to take up arms against the demons of the world. Rin had laughed it off as a joke. Now, he knew better. The term made him frown, staring at the older man as his pulse quickened at the idea. These two were supposed to kill demons like Kuro and him.

Sighing, Neal stepped forward and shook his head. "What he's being too vague and mysterious to say is that we need to know if you've seen anything strange in the area, kid. Weird animal attacks, bad luck, mysterious haunted houses…that kind of thing."

Looking towards Kuro, Rin hesitated. The cat looked back at him, his eyes wide and pleading. _Please Rin! Shiro is a good person, I know he only wants to help. Trust him, like you trusted me not to kill you before._

The cat had an odd logic, which made Rin smile faintly. "Fine. But…there really isn't much to tell you. The closest thing to a place like that would probably be Storybrooke, and even then…I really don't think it is what you're looking for." Then again, Amaimon had called him 'brother', which probably made both of those two demons anyway.

"And what makes Storybrooke so unusual?" The priest spoke again, frowning as he studied Rin.

Looking away, Rin rubbed the back of his head. "It…it's hard to explain. Henry could probably do it better than I could, though I highly doubt you'd believe him. Most people don't, despite him being one of the only people who knows the truth in that town."

"And what is that truth you speak of?"

Meeting the priest's eyes, Rin narrowed his gaze and took a deep breath. "That they're all cursed. The entire town…is nothing but a curse, and they're all idiots who don't even realize it, or want to believe it." Then again, he may have changed some of their minds in his crazed attempt to flee from Amaimon.

Neal blinked at him, crouching on the ground in front of him with wide eyes. "Hold on a second…cursed? Like…magically cursed, or just haunted cursed?"

What kind of a freak asked a question like that? Rin nearly asked as much, before realizing he might have a point. Did he know this guy? Frowning, he studied the man and found he was unable to identify him by appearance, at least. "Are…are you from there, then? Not many people would ask a question like that, unless they knew it was important."

"From…you aren't saying you agree with Neal's ridiculous story about another realm?" The old man shook his head, sighing. "He told me about it long ago…and I've never once seen proof of it in this world. Perhaps it does exist, but the only contact Assiah receives from other realms is from the world of Gehenna, the demon dimension."

"I told you before, that's because of how impossible it is to create a portal of any kind, much less a portal from a magical realm to one without magic. Gehenna is like our world, a mirror dimension without magic…since demonic powers really can't be considered the same thing. They run on different principles and—"

"Wait…you know about magic?" Rin blinked at him, his mind thinking of the sword on his back. Rumplestiltskin would require a deal to do something about it, but maybe there was another way. Could someone fix the seal? Pulling it off of his back, he dug around inside the red bag, eventually feeling a piece of paper inside that he pulled back out. "Then what about this? Can you figure out how to fix it and make it work again?"

"That…that looks like some scribbled ink on paper." The priest frowned at it, staring at it for a moment before grabbing it and passing it over to Neal. "Granted, it looks a bit burned at the edges, but it is still nothing but an odd note and nothing more."

"Actually…this looks like fairy magic." Neal sat down, frowning and glancing up towards Rin. "Where did you even get this?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Rin looked away. "It's…probably best if you don't know. Might make it less…uh…dangerous for you. I mean, I didn't do anything wrong, but that doesn't mean he's…" Breaking off, Rin bit his lip and realized he was rambling without any real direction. "Never mind. Can you fix it or not?"

"There's no magic here, idiot. Even if I could use magic, and that's not saying I can, no one can fix it in this realm." He tossed the paper back towards Rin, folding his arms over his chest. "Why is it so important for a magic seal to remain intact in a world without magic anyway? Those things typically seal away dangers relating to magic, so it is kinda pointless over here."

Walking over, Kuro seemed to sniff the paper before moving on to the sword, pawing at the case. _Rin…I don't like the way this sword smells. It smells bad…there's been a lot of demons killed by it. It reeks of their blood…and even worse, it smells like…like the worst demon of them all, Satan himself._

The cat looked up at him, wide eyes showing nervousness as he mewled loudly, catching Shiro's attention. "Whatever it is, Kuro clearly seems to think it is concerning. Is there something unusual about that sword you carry?"

Pulling it back on over his back, Rin held the strap tightly and glared at him. "That's none of your business. The sword is mine, that's all there is to it." He wasn't going to let that change anytime soon. He wasn't going to be toyed with again, not like he was with Amaimon.

"Oooh, so defensive. I wasn't trying to be rude, just asking a question." Shiro chuckled slightly, smiling brightly at the boy. "Either way, I'd say this forest is getting rather cold and we'd all do better after getting rest. Could you take us to this town so we can find a place to rest while we figure out what exactly it is we need to look into?"

"No." Neal spoke swiftly before Rin could respond. "There's no way in hell I'm going to that place, no matter what the Vatican says about it. They can't force me to go to the one person I've been running from for my entire life."

"What, is someone scared of their father again?" Shiro laughed again, reaching over and ruffling Neal's hair. "Does someone think their father is trying to kill them or something?"

Glaring at him, Neal scowled in irritation. "That's not what I meant. My family life was screwed up and you know it, so don't even think about—"

"I'm only joking, Neal. Learn to lighten up." The priest sighed, shaking his head. "I thought you might've learned how to at least try to be more joyful after all these years. I did raise you after all…but you still seemed to get lost somewhere along the way."

Looking towards Rin, Neal sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, you did. And I tried to live my life thinking demons and magic were the same thing…that by destroying one, I was somehow stopping the other." Rin blinked at him, not seeing Kuro pause and gaze at Rin's reaction with a frown. "Anyway, I think we've been rude to this kid long enough. My name's Neal, and this is sorta my father, Shiro Fujimoto. We work as exorcists, finding places with demons causing problems and getting rid of the demons so things can be more peaceful in the area."

 _But never demons like me! Shiro always let me stay with him, no matter what I do. He's the best, and he makes the best sake I've ever had!_ Kuro's enthusiastic voice made Rin smile, reaching over and scratching his ears. The cat purred again, while Shiro watched him with a small smile.

"You know, Kuro doesn't normally take to people like that. He had a bad experience with humans, a long time ago. They didn't treat him right, and he's always been afraid of being abandoned and forgotten about again…if he trusts you know, I'm certain there is a good reason."

Looking up towards the priest, Rin smiled and nodded. "Yeah…maybe you're right." Maybe he could still be a good person, even if he wasn't human. "You said you were looking to hunt down demons, right? Well, I might be able to help you after all." Rising to his feet, Rin smiled at both of them. "My name is Rin Okumura…but in town, people know me as Ryan Oakson. Among everyone in town…I'm probably one of only a handful of people who know the truth about what is going on."

"Wait…so you aren't cursed like the others?" Neal frowned, studying him closely. "Then…Emma, did she—"

"You know about the whole savior thing?" Rin smiled, chuckling and shaking his head. "Nah, she hasn't finished the job. In fact, until recently I think she was rather adamant that magic and fairy tales couldn't possibly exist. I'm just…unusual, in that sense. A recent event kinda triggered a recall for me…and ever since that, I've come to realize a few things about some strangers we've had in town."

"Such as?"

"The fact that I've met them before…in another realm, and that they haven't seemed to age one bit since then." Rin looked towards Shiro, seeing the older man narrow his eyes. "I've heard their names a few times now…and they are still in town, though I have no idea why. Based on what I've seen…they just might be the demons you are here to find. Do the names Amaimon and Mephisto mean anything to you two?"

"Amaimon and…it can't be. Both of them are here?" Shiro stared at him, his eyes wide. He moved forward, grabbing Rin's shoulders tightly. "You have no idea how dire it is to make sure you are correct. If it truly is them…this town of yours will never know what hit it."

"Actually…it might not be so bad, depending on how things turn out." He took a deep breath, glancing towards Kuro for a moment. "See…I'm certain it is them, and what I'm even more sure about is that I'm the reason they're in town. They were the ones who took the risk of getting this sword for me…and because they gave it to me, I remembered everything, including why the hell it is so important to me."

"And what is so important about some sword? I still don't get why you'd even care about it." Neal watched him, and Rin opened his mouth to reply. However, at that moment was when he saw it. A familiar smell seemed to fill the air, one he would never forget. Turning towards where it came from, he saw the smoke rising from the distance, in the opposite direction of Storybrooke. However, he had no doubt what was happening. Taking off running, Rin didn't care if they followed or not. He heard their footsteps racing after his own, but all Rin could think about was the blue flames from so long ago, in another realm. Satan knew that Rin was no longer there, somehow. All Rin knew was that he couldn't just sit back and watch anymore either. No matter what it took, he was going to save their lives this time, even if it mean surrendering himself to his demonic father for good.

 **So, I made a slight addition to Neal's past for this story, but I don't intend for this to change what canon already established (hence the comment he made about trying to leave the exorcists for a while). Either way, I really wanted to include Kuro and Father Fujimoto in some form, and this seemed to be the best option to balance that out and keep OUAT characters involved at the same time. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time

( _Today, near Storybrooke)_

Getting to the small town not far from Storybrooke was easy. Seeing those blue flames again was nothing but a reminder. _Rin! Get back, those flames are a sign that Satan is here!_ Kuro's shout was the first one Rin heard as he entered the streets, hearing the screams in the air.

Not even looking back, Rin scowled and glared up at the sky. "Yeah, I know it is." He took a deep breath, scanning the city for the exact body Satan was in right now. Behind him, he could hear Neal and Shiro stop running, seeing Rin standing the the center of town. "Hey, Kuro? You wanna know why I didn't want to tell you what I was?" The cat blinked at him, tilting his head. "It's because I hate what I am. I hate knowing the truth…but sometimes, I guess it is better to just accept it and begin moving forward. Maybe I'm not strong, and maybe I can't do anything but be a hot-headed kid who starts fights he can't win…but here, I might be able to save someone by just being what I am."

 _Rin, please don't! I want to know more about you, and have you scratch my back again. Don't let Satan win, Rin! You don't have to be a hero, when you can step back and live to fight another day._

"Rin, get back from there! This place is dangerous…and these flames—" Shiro was speaking, but Rin was done listening to others.

"I know exactly what they are. Hey Kuro? I'm sorry I lied before…maybe I'm not a full-blooded demon…but I'm definitely half-demon." The cat blinked at him, before smiling widely.

 _I knew you smelled like one! I guess that's why you also smelled different too. See, we're a lot alike, right? Doesn't that make you want to step back so we can try to be friends, Rin?_

He smiled, happy to hear that Kuro really did care in some way. Maybe he hardly knew the cat, but an odd bond was forming quickly between the two of them. "Thank you, Kuro…for being the first to accept that I might not just be a monster because of this. However…I think I'm going to have to destroy even that. Because…because I'm not just any demon, Kuro." Looking towards the cat, Rin felt tears on his cheeks again. Behind him, Shiro had gone oddly silent, with Neal's eyes wide as they both listened in on his conversation with the cat. "You'll see in just one moment…because I need to do something big and flashy to get his attention before more people die."

 _Rin, wait!_

Kuro tried chasing after him, likely with the intent to stop him. However, Rin reached behind his head, closing his eyes. "I'm ready. You wanted to find me, well here I am!" Rin shouted out his words to the sky, drawing out Kurikara and feeling his body ignite with warmth. His tail lashed out behind him, swinging around as he glared around through the blue flames to try and spot anyone approaching. "Show yourself! I heard you before, looking for your son. Well, take a good look! Because I can't possibly have this power if I'm not your kid, right?"

He could remember Amaimon's words, about this power being just like Satan's. Not only that, but Red had pretty much said the same thing about their scents. He could not deny this, not anymore. "Hell…Shiro, what kind of a kid did we just find in the woods today?"

Neal's voice came from behind him, talking to his partner. "He's…it can't be…Yuri's son…" He recognized the name again, blinking in surprise at the old man. "She's alive. Somehow, she is still al—"

"No. My mother died the moment I was born." Rin spoke harshly, not wanting to let him have any false hope. "Still…I'm surprised that an old fart like you even knew about her. I figured it would be something you exorcists didn't like…the idea of some human having a demon as her kid."

"And you would be correct, my son." A different voice spoke, layered with undertones as a person walked forward, covered in blue flames. Rin did not recognize the person, but he knew what the voice and fire meant. "Finally…I've found you. Such a shame Yuri passed on before our dream could be realized…but together, you and I can make it a reality." A hand was held out towards him, while Rin swallowed and tightened his grip on his sword. "Those exorcists were the ones who forced my hand, who forced me to send her away! I spent decades, searching for her, for you…and now that we're together again, I'm never allowing us to be apart. My son…how I've longed for this moment."

 _Stay away from Rin!_ Startled, Rin looked back to see Kuro growing inside, growling and charging forward. _I don't care if he's your son, he's my friend. I'm going to defend him just like I defend Shiro. He was crying about what he was…he doesn't want to be your son, so leave him alone!_

"Kuro…please, don't—" Satan laughed, interrupting Rin as he gazed at Kuro's form.

"You'll keep me away? Don't make me laugh. I am called the king of Gehenna for a reason, puny pet." Moving forward, Satan moved to attack. However, Rin wasn't going to sit back and watch him hurt Kuro. Moving forward, Rin slashed out with the flat edge of his sword, slamming it into Satan's stomach to shove him back.

"I'm not letting you hurt him!"

"Oh? I see you've already reached your rebellious stage. No matter, we can sort that out back home." He smiled, as if pleased with the announcement. "Now, don't you want to be free of this world? Haven't you seen enough of their hate? With me, we can find a way to make it all go away…to create the perfect world of peace, just as Yuri wanted us to do."

"Somehow, I don't think this is what she had in mind when she thought of peace." Rin scowled, glaring at him. "You want a peaceful world? Fine, I'd be happy to help. However, this isn't the way to get that!"

"Then you will come with me by force, and I will show you exactly why it is the only way to get there! Do you think I have not tried other methods, my son? Look at what my power does to bodies here in Assiah?" It was a horrifying sight, with the body now bleeding from his eyes as blue flames consumed him. "Stop being so immature. Just grow up and learn to listen like the rest of your brethren."

"But I'm not like them." Rin realized he really was different. "I'm not a demon. But I'm also not human. See…I'm just me, and right now, the person I am can't stand the sight of someone like you…willing to throw lives away for something as pointless as anger over a person who gave up everything just so your own kid could live! What kind of messed up logic is that? Kill for the person who fought for life? If you ask me, that's what is screwed up about your plans. Find another way…and once you have, maybe then I'd be willing to talk."

Turning away, Rin sheathed his sword and took a deep breath. Satan was silent, staring at him with wide eyes as his body began to burn away. "You do this again…and I don't care what I have to do, I'll hunt you down and find a way to beat the shit out of you."

There was no response, and Rin didn't really expect one. However, as he stared into the eyes of Shiro and Neal, he somewhat found himself wishing there had been one. He had just gotten himself into a huge mess, and he really had no way of explaining what had just happened other than the truth. He was so dead, especially considering he had inherited the very power exorcists feared so much from Satan.

( _Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest)_

Rin could tolerate many things from his step-mother. He had accepted that she was grieving over a loss from long ago. Snow had told him about it, of course, but she spoke so highly of Regina that he never really thought it would be a problem. Yet, there were some things that took it too far. After the death of the king, Regina was crowned queen. At the same time, she changed. Everything about the mother he had grown to know vanished in an instant. The kindness he thought was in her was gone, and he often found himself hiding away in the castle, playing games with Snow and Yukio to avoid her wrath.

Really, he didn't understand why she had changed. "He must miss my father. I do too." Snow spoke about it softly, on rare occasions. However, what he saw that angered him most was her treatment of Snow.

"That dress is not becoming of a princess. It makes it look like you are selfish, flaunting your wealth to those beneath you." Regina had tossed Snow a set of maid's rags instead, dirty and unwashed, rather than the sparkling pink ball gown she had been wearing. "Try these instead. They'll make you more presentable to the public."

Yukio had said nothing, but Rin couldn't stand it. "No way! She's fine in what she's wearing, and people will laugh at her for—"

He broke off as Regina spun around on him, moving forward and grabbing his wrist harshly, tugging him closer. "What did you say? Are you trying to argue against your queen?"

"Mother, please release Rin. You do know that my brother can be an idiot at times." Yukio spoke, actually defending that girl! Angered, Rin glared at his brother, while Regina simply huffed and released him.

"Of course. Now, do as I ask, and all will be just fine."

Of course, Snow had done as requested without complaint. "Really, you didn't need to complain, Rin. It doesn't matter what I wear. Mother used to always tell me that true beauty lies within, and I know my heart is as pure and beautiful as they could come."

Maybe, but it didn't mean Regina was kind. His dislike only grew the more Regina tried to fight back against Snow. Then, the disaster came. Rin had still been fairly young when he noticed it. Regina had told both Yukio and him that Snow would be gone for a while, saying she moved away to one of the other castles to have some time by herself. However, when he was in town shopping, he saw the flyer. Pictured in a crude drawing, Snow White was labeled as a bandit and traitor to the queen, with a reward for bringing her in either dead or alive.

Angered, Rin had turned to find Yukio who had been getting books while Rin got the ingredients to make supper for their family again. Really, it was the one task Regina ever left him in charge of around the castle these days. "Yukio! Hey, are you there?" His brother blinked at him, frowning faintly at Rin's expression.

"What's up, Rin?"

"Have you seen these flyers?" Yukio took the paper from Rin's hands, frowning as he studied it. "Regina is trying to get Snow killed! I told you there was something off about her. We need to get away from her now, before she does the same thing to us."

"Calm down, Rin. There's no reason to be rash." Yukio frowned, looking back up at him. "From what I could tell, Snow really was the only one of us she truly hated like this. Maybe we should figure out a way to help her, but running off with her will only make Regina angry with us as well. Then we'd all die together, and no one would win."

"Just because it's dangerous, you want to back out?"

"Rin, that's not what I'm saying."

Glaring at him, Rin crossed his arms over his chest. "Sure sounds like what you're saying. She's our sister, even if we're not related by blood. In fact, I'd say she's just as important as if she were. Family is more than blood, Yukio."

"I know that! But listen, if you leave, Regina will know you are helping her. She'll force someone to track you down too, and I won't be able to protect you."

"Then we just will have to not get caught." Rin grinned at his brother, grabbing his shoulders tightly. "Snow was always more like family to us than she was, Yukio. Regina never loved any of us…we were all just burdens to her."

"She cared about us, in her own way." Yukio looked away, staring at the ground. "It's just that she doesn't seem to know how to show it. I wonder, sometimes, how she grew up. If she was loved…and if that love was displayed in harsh forms."

"I can't believe you just said that. The Evil Queen, caring about others?" Rin snorted, shaking his head. "Whatever. I'm not going to force you to do anything…but one day, you're going to wake up, and I'll be gone. I'm not going to abandon Snow when I'm needed. In fact…I wouldn't abandon anyone, no matter what cost I had to pay to save them."

"Such a martyr, Rin. I suppose I can't stop you." Yukio sighed, giving him a faint smile. "I'll do what I can to keep Regina's wrath away from you while I'm home, then. I think that will be the best role for me to have in this plan of yours."

Reaching over, Rin hugged his brother and smiled. "Thank you. I wish you were coming too…but thank you for not forcing me to stay."

"How could I ever do something like that to my own brother?" Yukio chuckled, pulling back and patting Rin's shoulder. "I'll always be by your side to support you, Rin, no matter what. Just like I know I can count on you to always have my back when I need you."

Together, they returned to the palace. However, Rin couldn't help but feel himself focusing on the truth of those words he had given to Yukio. If it meant saving someone's life, he really didn't care what it took. It was the right thing to do to protect others, and he was going to show Yukio that he really could succeed on his own and save Snow, in his own way and without needing to rely on his little brother for help.

 **So, Rin's now impulsively revealed himself, and faced off against Satan directly for the first time. Sadly, this is also where my incredibly rushed ending begins, since this is the point in the draft where I began to run out of future ideas for this story. So, if you would like to see the ending improved, suggestions are welcome! Otherwise, we actually only have two more chapters left until it is complete. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

( _Today, just outside of Storybrooke)_

Rin walked past Neal and Shiro, not looking to see Kuro stop next to them and stare as Rin walked on. His sword was back behind his back, and his hands were shoved into his pockets. Really, he didn't expect either of them to want to stick around any longer. It was their job to hunt monsters like him, after all. "Rin, wait up just a second!" Neal shouted, moving before Shiro did. "Are you seriously going to just walk off without explaining a thing? Somehow, you knew this was happening, you take off running like a mad man towards this town and when we get here…" Neal trailed off, biting his lip. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head, looking back towards Rin. "Look, I know what it's like to have a crappy father, okay? See…the reason I didn't want to tell you who I was and how I knew about the curse…is because I'm kinda the son of Rumplestiltskin. Most people don't really like him that much."

"This fairy tale nonsense of yours isn't going to help anything, Neal." Shiro sighed, moving closer. "The Vatican would tell us to kill him where he stands for this. They don't much like anything relating to Satan…which is why I always believed it was better to think that Yuri had died back then. Now, this complicates things."

"Because it's your job to kill me, right?" Rin looked at the old man, who was grimacing and standing tensely behind him. Giving the man a half-smile, Rin chuckled. "Yeah, I figured as much. Exorcists almost came to exist in the Enchanted Forest a while back…I actually lived with a few of them for a while. However…Satan kinda ruined things for them, just like he did here. I'm not saying I won't fight back, but I understand why you'd be afraid of someone with that kind of power." He was, after all, and so was Snow. Maybe if he had understood back then, he wouldn't have gotten so angry with her.

"But we can't! Shiro, I know we don't know much about this kid, but…he's not a bad person. I mean, look at Kuro!" Said cat was moving closer to Rin, pawing at his leg and looking up at the half-demon with wide eyes. "Clearly, he isn't like Satan. The kid just stood up to that guy himself and even threatened him! Maybe he has a death wish, but he isn't like the demons we're supposed to be hunting down."

"But it does not change that he is the spawn of Satan. If he is left alone and Satan gets what he desires, this boy will rise to be another Demon Prince of Gehenna. That cannot be ignored, Neal."

"And if that happens, I'd want you to stop me." Rin stared off back towards Storybrooke. "For now, why don't we try and figure something out? Your boss says I have to die, but really, he just doesn't like the fact that I've got Satan's powers, right?" Shiro nodded, while Rin tapped the sword behind his back with a faint smile. "For decades, this sword has managed to keep those powers sealed away with magic. If we can find a way to reinforce that magic seal I was showing Neal before, we might just be able to take away my demonic powers again so I won't be a threat to this Vatican you keep mentioning."

"But magic is nothing but a—"

"It's not." Rin interrupted Shiro with a serious expression. "Magic is real, and if Neal is telling the truth, his father is probably the most magical person anyone knows. To be honest…I really can't say I like the guy, but I did spend a bit of time with Rumple back home. We were…cell mates, I guess."

"Cell…wait, are you saying someone managed to capture and defeat my father?"

Grinning, Rin chuckled. "Capture, yes. Defeat…I honestly can't say for certain. The way he talked sometimes…I almost wondered if he wanted to be in that cell, captured as he was. Still, there was one thing he seemed to want badly that he never got."

"My father always got what he wanted. If he didn't, he'd take it by force."

"He wanted me to make a deal with him." Rin looked at Neal, seeing the boy's eyes widen. "I told him I knew how those things always ended. He tried so hard…playing on everything he overheard, any knowledge he gained on me to try and offer me something I'd want. Part of me wonders if he'd be able to fix the seal…but I'd rather go to someone else for help. His magic is probably not the kind I'd want to seal away my power."

"That seal…it was fairy magic, right?" Rin nodded, while Neal smiled faintly. "Then why not go to them?"

"Because right now, all fairies are nuns." Neal blinked at him, while Rin smiled without any real emotion backing it. "The curse, remember? Regina remembers because she cast it, Gold remembers because…well, I'm actually not certain about why your father remembers." Rin paused, rubbing the back of his neck before shrugging. "Henry knows about it because he's from out of town, and he's a kid who believes in fairy tales. And I know about it because my idiot brother broke the seal keeping my demonic powers sealed away…it seems like demonic powers and magic don't really mix well."

"So, to seal away your powers we must eliminate this curse you claim exists in this town?" Shiro spoke, frowning for a moment. "It seems simple enough. Just how does one go about breaking a curse?"

"Haven't you read any fairy tales of any kind?" Rin snorted, shaking his head and shifting his weight slightly. "True love's kiss breaks any spell, old man. However, Emma isn't exactly in love with anyone. Henry was thinking that so long as she was in town to keep time moving forward, it didn't really matter who's kiss broke the spell…it just had to be someone."

"And so he asked you to play matchmaker?"

Shaking his head at Neal, Rin stared at the ground. "No. He…he was trying to ask me if I wanted to break the curse, actually."

"Oh." Neal paused, before patting his back gently. "Don't worry, I think I've got us covered. Emma…she'll be mad at first, but I actually knew her pretty well a while back. Someone told me that she had a job to fulfill relating to magic and my father, so I was scared off back then…but now, I don't think I have much of a choice."

"You've changed a lot since you were young, Neal. I highly suspect you will not even be recognized."

"You could say that again." Neal ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes for a moment. "I just wish I could make sure my father didn't even see me. Whatever kind of a man he is in this town…I have a feeling he hasn't changed at all."

"And I'd agree on staying away from him too." Rin looked back at them, scratching the back of his neck. "See…he owns a pawn shop in the cursed town, and the curse kinda sent a lot of random objects to that shop…including this sword." He patted the red bag for a moment, before dropping his hand to his sides. "Mephisto kinda stole it away from his shop…then gave the sword to me…and I keep refusing to give it back. So, I guess I'm technically responsible for helping someone steal from the Dark One…not really a situation I ever wanted to be in, to be honest."

"You know, I think you've just confirmed my suspicions of you wanting to die, kid." Neal shook his head, smiling faintly. "Come on, if we run into him, I'll figure out a way to get you out of it. My father may be a ruthless man, but if he ever had any kind of weakness or a heart, it was always when I was around to remind him of the man he used to be before he became what he is now."

"So…I guess that means I've gotta figure out a way to get you two into Storybrooke too." He frowned, shrugging. "Then again, it probably won't be too hard. Regina's spell was just to keep it hidden from sight…so I think that if you guys are all in contact of me when we cross the town line, you should just come in along with me."

The four of them began walking towards town, while Neal seemed to remain tense about the idea. Shiro looked thoughtful, gazing at the boy before sighing and speaking up. "So, Rin…do you know what happened to your mother?"

Shaking his head, Rin shrugged. "Not really. I never even met her. All I know is what Snow and the king told me…that I was found in the forest, held in the arms of my dead mother, covered in blue flames. They brought me to the Blue Fairy, and she sealed away my flames in the king's sword. From there, I was kinda adopted by their family." He wasn't going to get Yukio involved in this. The less he could speak about his brother, the better.

"I see. Then I suppose she died peacefully, happy to have gotten her wish of keeping you alive." Shiro smiled faintly at that, closing his eyes with a sigh. "I was young back then, assigned to the case of hunting her down. It was my job to make sure she perished before the spawn of Satan could be born…but as we neared her and started to complete our task, she vanished from sight. None of us knew what happened or how to stop it…but that was when Satan began to unleash his wrath upon us. We angered him for endangering his human wife, it seemed. I was the only one to survive that night…the only one capable of resisting possession from Satan."

"So…Satan is a really powerful demon, then?"

"He's the most powerful one there is." Shiro looked grave, staring ahead of them. "He's the king of Gehenna, and if he is targeting you, Rin, you best prepare to be facing demons for the rest of your life. They will never stop coming for you…and to help you stand up against them, it might be best for you to learn some of our skills to defend yourself."

Blinking, Rin turned towards him with wide eyes. However, before he could speak, Kuro joined in. _That'd be great, Rin! You could become super strong, just like Shiro, and then you and I could practice together. Plus, we'd never have to be apart, since as his student, you'd be training all the time with my master._

"Master?" Rin blinked at Kuro, frowning for a moment. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Uh…Rin?" Neal glanced at the boy, frowning for a moment. "Who are you talking to?"

"Kuro. He says Shiro is his master, which just sounds weird. I mean, when I first met him, he made it sound like you guys were close friends or something since he kept shouting at me for trying to hurt you…"

"Kuro doesn't speak, Rin. He's a demon…but one in possession of a cat, therefore unable to speak."

Shiro's explanation didn't really help. "I don't know…it's kinda like…demon to demon telepathy?" He didn't really know what to call it. All he knew was that he could hear Kuro's voice when the cat wanted him to hear.

Neal and Shiro shared a look, before the older man shrugged and sighed. "I see. To answer your question, Kuro is my familiar, a demon trained to serve exorcists. He has been with me for ages, always loyal and a good friend."

"So…demons are allowed to live if they serve exorcists?" Rin frowned, wondering what was so wrong about him if that was the case.

Nodding, Shiro smiled. "Indeed. They serve the purpose of helping us eliminate the threat their kind poses to the world. Kuro is likely one of the most known familiars in the world at the moment, not only because he works with me but also because he is one of the oldest Cat Sidhe to exist."

"So…if we can't seal my powers…the Vatican would be okay with me still being alive if I just helped them out?"

"That's not how it works, Rin." Shiro sighed, glancing towards Neal who looked serious as well.

"Familiars like Kuro are bound to their master, Rin. They follow orders implicitly, and can be summoned and banished at will. Basically…a familiar is akin to a slave, Rin. You wouldn't want to live like that, especially when you have no idea what kind of a tamer you'd end up working with."

Looking at the ground, Rin closed his hands into fists. He saw Kuro there, by his feet, looking as happy as ever. How could they call Kuro nothing but a slave? He had feelings too. He was happy, and he got angry when people threatened those he cared about. "Maybe I wouldn't like it…but if I wouldn't like it, then why do that to others? Doesn't Kuro have the right to choose another path if he wants to?"

"And if he did, we exorcists would be forced to put him down. Demons are often violent and reckless, Rin. It is that small amount of humanity in you that makes you different. Never forget that."

Yet, wasn't he the same anyway? He still picked fights all the time, and chose violence over words to deal with his problems. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with so we can move forward. Teach me a few tricks if you want, but I've been dealing with Satan for longer than you might think. See, he was trying to find me back in the Enchanted Forest. He killed a lot of people, all because he wanted to know where I was."

"That doesn't make it your fault, Rin, any more than it makes it my fault when my father killed people because he thought it would keep me safe." Neal sighed, shaking his head. "Leave Satan to us, alright? You've got a life to live, and it is our job to deal with demons like him."

"Besides, he usually does not interfere much with our world." Shiro spoke, looking towards Rin. "He was not lying about the result of him attempting to do so. His power is not meant for this world. Yuri was unique for that very reason…she was the only person I've ever met capable of surviving possession by Satan."

"Then what does he even want with me?"

"I don't think any of us knows, kid." Neal sighed, shaking his head. "Just try to forget about it, alright? Do what you want, and if Satan comes for you, fight back before he forces you to become something you don't want to be."

Frowning, Rin gazed down at the ground. It didn't sound right, just waiting for him to come again. What else could he do? Thinking, Rin's eyes widened as he remembered something. Henry's storybook had a few pages about Satan's attacks. Maybe there was a story in there that could tell him what Satan wanted in the first place. If not, it was at least a place to start looking. "I think we better hurry up and see Henry then. That kid's got a storybook that has almost all the answers."

"All the answers to what?"

"To everything that has ever happened in the Enchanted Forest." Rin grinned, picking up his pace and dragging them along with him. They had reached the town border, so he quickly grabbed their wrists to bring them into town. Kuro jumped up on Rin's shoulder, smiling brightly as he pulled them into town. "That story will have the answers, I know it." Turning around, he grinned and spread his arms wide. "So, what do you think? This here is Storybrooke, Main, the town that no one ever leaves and no one ever enters, unless Regina wants them to, of course." With a laugh, Rin released them and began walking towards Snow's apartment. Hopefully, Henry was with his birth mother today, because Rin did not want to face Regina again after that disaster. Otherwise, he could just wait for the kid back at his tavern, where Henry usually managed to stop by at least once a week.

( _Many years ago, in Gehenna)_

Satan was getting tired of constantly failing in his search. Every town he went to, it was exactly like Assiah. He'd posses a body, and it would last for no longer than ten minutes. It would burn away, consumed by his power. Enraged, Satan continued moving throughout this realm relentlessly. He knew she had to be here. This realm seemed to match the energy his portal had linked to, after all. It was only a matter of locating where.

The King of Gehenna lost track of how many people fell to his carless search. Yuri would be upset with him for such a massive loss of life, but he couldn't see reason without her. Someone had to show him right and wrong, to explain to him exactly why he needed to care for life. That someone had always been her, but those exorcists ruined everything. When he found a sect of them growing in this world too, he had not been able to contain his anger. He killed them in a rage, possessing them one by one with a savage glee. The few outsiders who came to investigate were the only ones he even posed his usual questions to, but they had been cowards. None of them had been willing to speak, to answer a single question. The body burned away before he had been able to repeat his demands as well, leaving it another pointless waste of time.

Eventually, Satan began to realize that perhaps he was simply being impatient about matters. Calling his sons to his side, Satan decided perhaps he could get someone else to locate his lost family for him. "Amaimon, Mephisto…it is good for you to come. It seems as if the rest of those ungrateful brats have ignored my summons."

"And they will be punished appropriately, I am certain." Mephisto gave a grand bow with his words, smiling like usual. "I must admit, I was rather surprised when I got your request. Usually, you have no issue with me living in the human world as I tend to favor. It is where I get my entertainment, after all."

"Toying with exorcists…yes, I am well aware." Satan had disliked Mephisto for that very reason. The demon of time and space was too close to the people meant to be their enemies, and for so long, Satan had tried to undermine his son and show him the error of his ways. However, Mephisto was clever, able to stay one step ahead of Satan when the demon king was not giving his full focus to said plan. "Amaimon, are you even paying attention?"

The green haired demon looked up, blinking in surprise. "Sorry, Father. I was just thinking that it has been a while since I've had any fun lately. Do you have a job that might entertain me soon?"

"Indeed I do." Satan smiled brightly at both of them. "See, there is someone I've been trying to locate in another realm…someone who continuously escapes my grasp. You see, there is another one of your siblings alive, born to a human mother. I wish to locate this child, and bring him here just so he can finally bring us the peace Yuri spoke of. With a half-human child, they will have no choice but to see that co-existence is possible! Those exorcists will have to bow before me, and let us demons exist in Assiah by their sides."

"Hmm…a half-demon half-human brother? Sounds interesting. Can I play with him when I meet him?" Amaimon looked over at Satain, his expression bored and bland as he picked at his nails.

Shrugging, Satan focused back on watching that other realm once more. "Do as you wish with him, so long as he is alive when he is brought to me."

"My my, such a heartless and cold father. Do you think the child will forgive you for allowing such a harsh treatment of him? After all…he is part human. He just might take after their silly natures and become offended by such actions."

Mephisto's words made Satan pause, thinking back to Yuri. She had never been offended by his actions, though she had corrected him when she believed he was wrong. Perhaps this child would be capable of doing the same. "He does not have to forgive me. He simply needs to know his place…to serve me as all of my children in Gehenna do now."

Chuckling, Mephisto shook his head. "Of course. Then as you wish, it shall be done. However, do not blame me when things go astray. You know how Amaimon can get when he finds a new toy."

"Then contain him." Satan glared at Mephisto, angered that he was forced to rely on this deceitful son of his. "You will lead this mission, Mephisto. If anything goes wrong…I will hold you accountable. Then, you can become _my_ new toy, and we'll have so much fun together. Isn't that right, my adorable sons?"

Satan laughed, while Mephisto gave a slight bow, smiling as if amused. "Very well. Then Amaimon, I believe it is time for us to visit a new world. Won't you be excited to see this new place filled with wonder? I've heard so many interesting things. Supposedly, there is magic in this realm."

"Magic? Sounds boring. Humans must be lazy in that world…I guess only our brother will be entertaining enough to battle with."

"Though, you are forgetting that it could be a sister. We really do not know which, do we?" Mephisto laughed, while Amaimon blinked at him in surprise. Tapping his umbrella on the ground, Mephisto began to activate his power to take them to this other realm. "Either way, we best be off." He lifted the umbrella, pointing it into the air. "Eins, Zwei, Drei!" With the count off, a portal appeared in front of them. Walking through, both Mephisto and Amaimon left for the Enchanted forest. Meanwhile, Satan continued his own search, endlessly killing the humans of that realm as his search party expanded, taking over this puny realm so that he could have his son before it was too late to create the world he and Yuri had dreamed of so long ago.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Once Upon a Time or Blue Exorcist

( _Today, in Storybrooke)_

Coming back into town wasn't like returning home. Rin stood in the streets, expecting things to be relatively similar to how they were when he left. However, that was not the case. An odd purple haze seemed to be fading away from sight, leaving Rin wondering what he had missed while he was out of town. Had he really been gone for long? The emptiness of his stomach told him he probably had, but he didn't want to focus on it.

"Something is wrong here. That haze…it almost looked like magic." Neal glanced towards Rin, who nodded in agreement. Moving forward, he walked slowly through town, searching for what could have caused it.

In the streets, he could see various groups gathering and reuniting. People had their memories back, which must have meant the curse was gone. He saw Snow, standing with her husband and Emma. Near them, Rin saw Blue, talking calmly to them about magic and how it was back in town. Joining them, Rin waved and smiled at the fairy. "Hey! So, the curse is gone?"

Turning towards him, Emma placed a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. "Yeah…nice to see you've finally decided to come back. Everyone was wondering what the heck happened to you, especially Henry…" She trailed off, looking away. "Long story short, Regina still had some magic left in this world and put Henry under a sleeping curse, trying to get to me. It may have taken a while, but I finally got rid of this curse."

Her gaze slid over behind him, before her eyes widened. "Wait…that can't be. _Neal?"_

"Hey, Emma." Neal gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's been a while. Either way…Rin, since they remember, did you want to try asking Blue about that spell?"

Nodding, Rin turned towards the Blue Fairy, while Neal walked towards Emma to have a whispered argument about his return. "Hey…so, about that sealing spell…"

"I know. I saw the flames from our church when you left." Blue gave him a sad smile, touching his shoulder gently. "That seal was never strong enough to hold, I knew that. Such power…I still do not know where it comes from, but magic can only do so much to contain it."

"And you can't put it back? I mean…recasting the same seal should fix the problem, right?"

She shook her head, pulling back and folding her hands in front of herself. "Unfortunately, nothing is ever quite so simple. Magic is not the same in this realm, and even if it were, there are no diamonds to mine for fairy dust. I cannot do for you what I did back then…and now that the seal is gone, your powers seem to have exceeded the level at which they could be contained. No one's magic could make them go away, Rin. However, I can offer you some advice. These powers do not make you who you are. They are a part of you, so as long as you learn to accept that, you can control them."

He knew it would be possible, but it still didn't stop his chest from feeling heavy at her words. Rin didn't want this power, not at all. However, as he was trying to think of what to do next, someone came running at him from the side. "Rin!" Red was there, holding him tightly in a hug. "I'm so glad you came back…I worried that you wouldn't." She pulled back, giving him a smile. "Plus, I'm back to being myself again, so I guess that means you don't have to keep freaking out about the curse, right?"

"Yeah…" Rin trailed off, pulling back and looking away. "But that doesn't mean there aren't other problems to deal with. Red…you do realize what drawing this sword did now, right?" She nodded, biting her lip. "I'm a demon, Red. Literally a demon…I'm just like that monster we were trying to hunt down back home."

"So?" She smiled at him, touching his shoulder and pressing her head against his arm. "You accepted me for what I was, so the least I can do is offer you the same. No matter what you are, you are still Rin, okay? Those blue flames of yours won't scare me away anytime soon."

"And they won't keep me away either." Another person stood behind her, with a familiar small smile and mole on his cheek. Frozen, Rin stared at his brother with wide eyes, becoming acutely aware of Shiro standing behind him, observing everything. "I'm sorry Rin, for everything. All of this…it's my fault the seal was broken."

Looking away, Rin refused to meet his eyes. "It was breaking on its own anyway, so don't worry about it."

"Wait what? How could a seal like that just break on its own?" Snow asked, having overheard their conversation from nearby.

"By not being powerful enough to contain his power. As I told you before, it was not a perfect seal, Snow, but it was the best I could manage given the circumstances."

Blue's response was calm, but none of them seemed to know what to say in response. After a moment, Rin shrugged and looked up, giving Yukio a small smile. "Anyway…do you think Gold is going to kill me for keeping this sword? I mean, it technically wasn't his to begin with…and now everyone remembers that too."

"You have two strangers hunting you down, and just ran away after erupting into blue flames, and that's all you're worried about?" Yukio chuckled after a moment, shaking his head. "Same as always, you never worry about the right things. Maybe there is reason to worry about Gold, but I highly doubt you're his top priority. He seemed more interested in tracking down the people who took your sword, not you, Rin."

"And that'll be its own disaster." Shiro finally spoke, moving closer. "He has no idea what it is he is hunting down. I suggest you find a way to keep him out of this. It is a matter for exorcists like myself and Neal to deal with, and you should not get involved."

"Exorcists? Rin…why would you find someone like him? He hunts demons! Do you even realize what that means for you?" Yukio stared at him, his eyes wide.

Nodding, Rin looked away. "We're figuring that out, Yukio. I mean, I kinda didn't have much of a choice when we ran into Satan anyway…they really wouldn't stop following me when I realized he was here too."

"Satan?" Red frowned, staring at him. "Who is that?"

"The demon we kept encountering in the Enchanted Forest." Rin looked over towards her, smiling ever so faintly. "He's kinda the king of all demons, according to Shiro and Neal. We were in way over our heads against that guy, trust me."

"And he is also the demon who sired Rin." Shiro spoke, while Yukio seemed to grow pale, rising to his feet. Even Red blinked in surprise, gazing at the priest with wide eyes. "There is no doubt of it. Only one demon in history has ever possessed the ability of the blue flames. For Rin to have that power as well…he had to have inherited it from his father. Luckily, he still has a hint of humanity in him from his mother…enough that I am wiling to consider an alternative to eliminating his power other than death. If we hurry, we may be able to find a method of containing it before the Vatican hears that he is still alive."

"Wait, are you saying you'll kill him if we don't contain his power?" Snow spoke, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. "I don't know who you are, but that's never the right answer. No one ever has to die…there is always a better way that keeps everyone alive and safe."

"But if I do not kill him, someone else will. That is the very nature of my organization." Shiro sighed, shaking his head. "For now, I suggest you begin thinking of some other method to seal away his flames. If he is seen igniting into flames like that by anyone else…word will reach the Vatican, and they will send back-up for the mission they've given me. No one expects an exorcist to fight against Satan alone…because every team to go against him before has always perished."

 _But you'll win, Shiro! I know you will, because you're the greatest exorcist to ever live._ Kuro's words made Rin smile, bending down and scratching his back.

"You bet he is, Kuro. We'll find a way to stop him…and if not, at least I can give him what he wants so he'll leave these people alone."

"And what does he want?" Yukio spoke calmly, keeping his gaze level with his brother.

Meeting his eyes, Rin took a deep breath. "Me. Satan wants his son…and I'll give it to him."

"If you do that, then I'll—"

"Don't say it." Rin looked at the ground, interrupting before he could reveal that they were brothers. "I know what you'll try to do. It's what you've always tried to do…protect me, no matter the cost to yourself. This time, can't you at least let me try to return the favor?"

"Rin…don't you realize that you've already done that? You fought on my behalf, and you struggled to better yourself so you could train me when I was forced to become a part of Regina's army."

"Plus, he's not the only one who'd try to stop you." Red smiled, patting his shoulder. "I can think of one wolf who'd track you down no matter where you ended up at. So, don't expect us to just let you leave so easily."

 _And don't expect me to let you keep my son away!_ A different voice filled Rin's head, making him snap up to his feet and pull away from everyone. His eyes went wide, searching for the blue flames but not finding them anywhere. _Hello, my son. I never got the chance to properly speak to you before. Now, why don't you just sit back and let me have some fun while we chat? It's been so long since I've had a body that lets me truly enjoy this world, after all…and yours is just perfect for the task._

Shaking his head, Rin tried to drown out the voice by covering his ears with his hands. "Shut up! Get the hell away from me."

 _Well, it seems that rebellious stage has still not faded away. Such a shameful way to speak to your father. I'll teach you—_

"You're not my father! There's no way in hell that a father would treat his own kid like this." His body shook, this time feeling heat crawling under his skin. Satan was inside of him, trying to take control.

 _But I am, and I can show you just why I am better for you than all of those pitiful humans you call friends. Do you think they care for you? Just take a look at what they did to you, my son. They saw danger, and tried to make you like them. They took away that which made you different, which made you special and connected to your true family. Is that what a friend would do? Or is it the actions of a deceitful enemy? I assure you, I've never once attempted to steal your power away, my son. No, all I've ever wished to do was find you…the one person from both worlds that could show humans that coexistence is possible…that could show them that everyone in both realms should bow before my power._

"That's not coexistence!" He was breathing hard, trying to fight back. However, he could see flames flickering in and out of existence on his arms.

When Satan spoke next, he managed to take some of Rin's voice with it, speaking out loud as well as in Rin's mind. " _Then what is, my son? Tell me, how would you define a peaceful coexistence between our kinds? For they have killed thousands of us, just as we have killed them. I am the only ruler the demons will ever respect! Therefore, it is only fitting that I rule over both worlds in unison, the greatest power to ever exist for them to all bow before!"_

"Never!" The layered tone in his voice vanished as Rin tried to take control back. Everyone was watching him, their eyes wide as they backed away. Shiro looked grave, one hand looking ready to throw a grenade of some kind at him while the other arm held people back. "Coexistence is about accepting people for what they are. Let humans rule over themselves…stop trying to kill them…and try to become their friend. By being friends with them, you can show them that you can change…that there might be peaceful demons out there, like Kuro, who don't want to hurt others."

 _Be their friend? Me? Ha, don't make me laugh. Exorcists never accepted me…they killed my beloved Yuri, forcing her to strain herself too much in her flight from them. If you don't believe me…I can show you exactly what they did to your human mother, the reason why they are so much more monstrous than I could ever be._

"And I don't care! That's in the past, and it can't be changed. Looking towards the future, we have to let crap like that go, or we'll never stop fighting." Standing up, Rin was finding it easier to keep Satan at bay. "Go back to Gehenna where you belong, Father. Maybe I am your son…but I'm also Yuri's son, and that means I can choose to live in this world instead of yours. I choose to be like her…to fight for this peace in my own way, without you trying to ruin everything with your anger and hate."

 _Anger? Hate? Such emotions are natural for demons. Maybe one day you'll see…and when you do, I'll be waiting for you, my son. I'll be waiting for you to join me when your ideals fail you and the humans betray you. Until then, I will give you a chance to prove your methods. Fight for coexistence your way, but I will return the moment I see that you've failed…and then I will rule over both Assiah and Gehenna as one._

The presence faded away, leaving Rin feeling weak. He collapsed on the ground, his legs giving out as he sagged forward. Shiro caught him, guiding him down to the ground with concerned eyes. "My god…this boy…he just held off Satan himself." Shiro chuckled, shaking his head.

"Indeed he did. He'd make a fine exorcist, don't you agree?" Mephisto spoke, appearing by his side with a smile on his face. On his shoulder, a green hamster seemed to rest with an irritated expression. "I sincerely hoped he was capable…otherwise, I suppose I would have made Father quite angry with this plan of mine. Do you think his dreams is possible, Shiro? That one day…us demons could live here in Assiah peacefully?"

Looking down towards Rin, Shiro smiled faintly. "Maybe one day…if anyone is capable of it, I imagine it would be the son of the one who first dreamed to be friends with your kind."

"Indeed it would be. I wager he'll become the best exorcist in history." With a smile, Mephisto bent down and picked Rin up, who was too weak to object. "Don't worry, I'm taking him to the Academy, not father. After all, it is the best place for him after this mess."

"Wait, what? I'm not letting you just take him away!" Yukio moved forward, while Red stood by his side and nodded in agreement.

"Then join us! True Cross Academy, a school for exorcists, will welcome you with open arms. I can even get around that pesky lingering curse at the town line for you so you can leave for Japan. What do you say? Do you want to become exorcists?" Mephisto smiled, leaning close to Yukio. "After all, it would be interesting to have both sons of Satan under my wing."

"Both?" Shiro blinked in surprise, while Yukio offered a weak smile.

"Yes, both. Rin is my twin brother." He sighed, nodding towards Mephisto. "And if you are taking Rin, then I will gladly accept your offer and join you. I will not abandon him like I did before…"

"Excellent! Then let us be off." Mephisto spun around, dragging Rin away. Shiro and Neal followed shortly after, but Rin was still lost in thought. He was going to be training to be an exorcist, just like the priests that had always taken care of him. It made him smile, because in a weird way, he'd be protecting others just like he always wanted to do. Maybe Satan would come back one day, and maybe he was a demon. Either way, he had a future to look forward to, one which just might lead him towards a future where he'd be accepted by others no matter what he was.

 **So, here's the end. I know, it was rather anti-climactic, but I was running out of ideas with this one and this was how it ended up, almost like an altered origin for Rin and Yukio who are now going to start training as exorcists. Still, I loved quite a few moments in this story and hope you did as well. Thank you all for reading, and please leave a review with your thoughts on how it turned out!**


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